Rice Cultivar Designated &#39;CLL17&#39;

ABSTRACT

The herbicide-tolerant rice cultivar designated ‘CLL17’ and its hybrids and derivatives are disclosed.

The benefit of the filing date of U.S. provisional application62/967,630, filed 30 Jan. 2020 is claimed under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) inthe United States, and is claimed under applicable treaties andconventions in all countries.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention pertains to the herbicide-tolerant rice cultivardesignated ‘CLL17,’ and to hybrids of, and cultivars derived from therice cultivar designated ‘CLL17.’

BACKGROUND ART

Rice is an ancient agricultural crop, and remains one of the world'sprincipal food crops. There are two cultivated species of rice: Oryzasativa L., the Asian rice, and O. glaberrima Steud., the African rice.Oryza sativa L. constitutes virtually all of the world's cultivated riceand is the species grown in the United States. The three majorrice-producing regions in the United States are the Mississippi Delta(Arkansas, Mississippi, northeast Louisiana, southeast Missouri), theGulf Coast (southwest Louisiana, southeast Texas); and the CentralValley of California. See generally U.S. Pat. No. 6,911,589.

Rice is a semiaquatic crop that benefits from flooded soil conditionsduring part or all of the growing season. In the United States, rice istypically grown on flooded soil to optimize grain yields. Heavy claysoils or silt loam soils with hard pan layers about 30 cm below thesurface are typical rice-producing soils, because they reduce water lossfrom soil percolation. Rice production in the United States can bebroadly categorized as either dry-seeded or water-seeded. In thedry-seeded system, rice is sown into a well-prepared seed bed with agrain drill or by broadcasting the seed and incorporating it with a diskor harrow. Moisture for seed germination comes from irrigation orrainfall. Another method of dry-seeding is to broadcast the seed byairplane into a flooded field, and then promptly drain the water fromthe field. For the dry-seeded system, when the plants have reachedsufficient size (four- to five-leaf stage), a shallow permanent flood ofwater 5 to 16 cm deep is applied to the field for the remainder of thecrop season. Some rice is grown in upland production systems, withoutflooding.

One method of water-seeding is to soak rice seed for 12 to 36 hours toinitiate germination, and then to broadcast the seed by airplane into aflooded field. The seedlings emerge through a shallow flood, or thewater may be drained from the field for a short time to enhance seedlingestablishment. A shallow flood is then maintained until the riceapproaches maturity. For both the dry-seeded and water-seeded productionsystems, the fields are drained when the crop is mature, and the rice isharvested 2 to 3 weeks later with large combines.

In rice breeding programs, breeders typically use the same productionsystems that predominate in the region. Thus, a drill-seeded breedingnursery is typically used by breeders in a region where rice isdrill-seeded, and a water-seeded nursery is typically used in regionswhere water-seeding prevails.

Rice in the United States is classified into three primary market typesby grain size, shape, and endosperm composition: long-grain,medium-grain, and short-grain. Typical U.S. long-grain cultivars cookdry and fluffy when steamed or boiled, whereas medium- and short-graincultivars cook moist and sticky. Long-grain cultivars have beentraditionally grown in the southern states and generally receive highermarket prices in the U.S.

Because most rice fields in the southern United States (as well as manyrice fields in other locations worldwide) are infested with red rice andother types of weedy rice, it can be difficult to avoid growing rice infields that are not already infested with red rice. Contamination of theharvested rice with red rice reduces consumer appeal, and cansubstantially lower the selling price that a grower might otherwisereceive. There is a continuing, ongoing, unfilled need for newherbicide-tolerant rice varieties.

Although specific breeding objectives vary somewhat in differentregions, increasing yield is a primary objective in all programs. Grainyield depends, in part, on the number of panicles per unit area, thenumber of fertile florets per panicle, and grain weight per floret.Increases in any or all of these components may help improve yields.Heritable variation exists for each of these components, and breedersmay directly or indirectly select for any of them.

There are numerous steps in the development of any novel, desirableplant germplasm. Plant breeding begins with the analysis and definitionof problems and weaknesses of the current germplasm, the establishmentof program goals, and the definition of specific breeding objectives.The next step is selection (or generation) of germplasm that possessesthe desired traits to meet the program goals. A goal is often to combinein a single variety an improved combination of desirable traits from twoor more ancestral germplasm lines. These traits may include such thingsas higher seed yield, resistance to disease or insects, better stems androots, tolerance to low temperatures, and better agronomiccharacteristics or grain quality.

The choice of breeding and selection methods depends on the mode ofplant reproduction, the heritability of the trait(s) being improved, andthe type of seed that is used commercially (e.g., F₁ hybrid, versus pureline or inbred cultivars). For highly heritable traits, a choice ofsuperior individual plants evaluated at a single location may sometimesbe effective, while for traits with low or more complex heritability,selection is often based on mean values obtained from replicatedevaluations of families of related plants. Selection methods includepedigree selection, modified pedigree selection, mass selection,recurrent selection, and combinations of these methods.

The complexity of inheritance influences the choice of breeding method.Backcross breeding is used to transfer one or a few favorable genes fora highly heritable trait into a desirable cultivar. This approach hasbeen used extensively for breeding disease-resistant cultivars. Variousrecurrent selection techniques are used to improvequantitatively-inherited traits controlled by numerous genes. The use ofrecurrent selection in self-pollinating crops depends on the ease ofpollination, the frequency of successful hybrids from each pollination,and the number of hybrid offspring from each successful cross.

Promising advanced breeding lines are thoroughly tested and compared toappropriate standards in environments representative of the commercialtarget area(s), typically for three or more years. The best lines becomecandidates for new commercial cultivars; those still deficient in a fewtraits may be used as parents to produce new populations for furtherselection.

These processes, which lead ultimately to marketing and distribution ofnew cultivars or hybrids, typically take 8 to 12 years from the time ofthe first cross; they may further rely on (and be delayed by) thedevelopment of improved breeding lines as precursors. Development of newcultivars and hybrids is a time-consuming process that requires preciseforward planning and efficient use of resources. There are neverassurances of a successful outcome.

A particularly difficult task is the identification of individual plantsthat are, indeed, genetically superior. A plant's phenotype results froma complex interaction of genetics and environment. One method foridentifying a genetically superior plant is to observe its performancerelative to other experimental plants and to a widely grown standardcultivar raised in an identical environment. Repeated observations frommultiple locations can help provide a better estimate of genetic worth.

The goal of rice breeding is to develop new, unique, and superior ricecultivars and hybrids. The breeder initially selects and crosses two ormore parental lines, followed by self-pollination and selection,producing many new genetic combinations. The breeder can generatebillions of different genetic combinations via crossing selfing, andmutation breeding. The traditional breeder has no direct control ofgenetics at the molecular level. Therefore, two traditional breedersworking independently of one another will never develop the same line,or even very similar lines, with the same traits.

Each year, the plant breeder selects germplasm to advance to the nextgeneration. This germplasm is grown under different geographical,climatic, and soil conditions. Further selections are then made, duringand at the end of the growing season. The resulting cultivars (orhybrids) and their characteristics are inherently unpredictable. This isbecause the traditional breeder's selection occurs in uniqueenvironments, with no control at the molecular level, and withpotentially billions of different possible genetic combinations beinggenerated. A breeder cannot predict the final resulting line, exceptpossibly in a very gross and generic fashion. Further, the same breedermay not produce the same cultivar twice, even starting with the sameparental lines, using the same selection techniques. This uncontrollablevariation results in substantial effort and expenditures in developingsuperior new rice cultivars (or hybrids); and makes each new cultivar(or hybrid) novel and unpredictable.

The selection of superior hybrid crosses is conducted slightlydifferently. Hybrid seed is typically produced by manual crosses betweenselected male-fertile parents or by using genetic male sterilitysystems. These hybrids are typically selected for single gene traitsthat unambiguously indicate that a plant is indeed an F₁ hybrid that hasinherited traits from both presumptive parents, particularly the maleparent (since rice normally self-fertilizes). Such traits might include,for example, a semi dwarf plant type, pubescence, awns, or apiculuscolor. Additional data on parental lines, as well as the phenotype ofthe hybrid, influence the breeder's decision whether to continue with aparticular hybrid cross or an analogous cross, using related parentallines.

Pedigree breeding and recurrent selection breeding methods are sometimesused to develop cultivars from breeding populations. These breedingmethods combine desirable traits from two or more cultivars or othergermplasm sources into breeding pools from which cultivars are developedby selfing and selection of desired phenotypes. The new cultivars areevaluated to determine commercial potential.

Pedigree breeding is often used to improve self-pollinating crops. Twoparents possessing favorable, complementary traits are crossed toproduce F₁ plants. An F₂ population is produced by selfing one or more Fis. Selection of the superior individual plants may begin in the F₂ (orlater) generation. Then, beginning in the F₃ (or other subsequent)generation, individual plants are selected. Replicated testing ofpanicle rows from the selected plants can begin in the F₄ (or othersubsequent) generation, both to fix the desired traits and to improvethe effectiveness of selection for traits that have low heritability. Atan advanced stage of inbreeding (e.g., F₆ or F₇), the best lines ormixtures of phenotypically-similar lines are tested for potentialrelease as new cultivars.

Mass and recurrent selection methods can also be used to improvepopulations of either self- or cross-pollinating crops. A geneticallyvariable population of heterozygous individuals is either identified orcreated by intercrossing several different parents. The best offspringplants are selected based on individual superiority, outstandingprogeny, or excellent combining ability. The selected plants areintercrossed to produce a new population in which further cycles ofselection are continued.

Backcross breeding is often used to transfer genes for a simplyinherited, highly heritable trait into a desirable homozygous cultivaror inbred line, which is the recurrent parent.

The source of the trait to be transferred is called the donor parent.The resulting plant should ideally have the attributes of the recurrentparent (e.g., cultivar) and the desired new trait transferred from thedonor parent. After the initial cross, individuals possessing thedesired donor phenotype (e.g., disease resistance, insect resistance,herbicide tolerance) are selected and repeatedly crossed (backcrossed)to the recurrent parent.

The single-seed descent procedure in the strict sense refers to plantinga segregating population, harvesting a sample of one seed per plant, andusing the one-seed sample to plant the next generation. When thepopulation has been advanced from the F₂ generation to the desired levelof inbreeding, the several plants from which the lines are derived willeach trace to different F₂ individuals. The number of plants in apopulation declines each generation, due to failure of some seeds togerminate or the failure of some plants to produce at least one seed. Asa result, not all of the F₂ plants originally sampled in the populationwill be represented by progeny in subsequent generations.

In a multiple-seed procedure, the breeder harvests one or more seedsfrom each plant in a population and threshes them together to form abulk. Part of the bulk is used to plant the next generation and part isheld in reserve. The procedure has been referred to as modifiedsingle-seed descent or the pod-bulk technique. The multiple-seedprocedure has been used to save labor at harvest. It is considerablyfaster to thresh panicles by machine than to remove one seed from eachby hand as in the single-seed procedure. The multiple-seed procedurealso makes it possible to plant the same number of seeds from apopulation for each generation of inbreeding. Enough seeds are harvestedto compensate for plants that did not germinate or produce seed.

Other common and less-common breeding methods are known and used in theart.

See, e.g., R. W. Allard, Principles of Plant Breeding (John Wiley andSons, Inc., New York, N.Y., 1967); N. W. Simmonds, Principles of CropImprovement (Longman, London, 1979); J. Sneep et al., Plant BreedingPerspectives (Pudoc, Wageningen, 1979); and W. R. Fehr, Principles ofCultivar Development: Theory and Technique (Macmillan Pub., New York,N.Y., 1987).

Proper testing should detect any major faults and establish the level ofsuperiority or improvement over current cultivars. In addition toshowing superior performance, there must be a demand for a new cultivaror hybrid; i.e., the new cultivar or hybrid should either be compatiblewith industry standards, or it should create a new market. Theintroduction of a new cultivar or hybrid may incur additional costs tothe seed producer, the grower, processor, and consumer for such thingsas special advertising and marketing, altered seed and commercialproduction practices, and new product utilization. The testing thatprecedes the release of a new cultivar or hybrid should take intoaccount research and development costs, in addition to technicalsuperiority of the final cultivar or hybrid.

See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,545,822; 5,736,629; 5,773,703; 5,773,704;5,952,553; 6,274,796; 6,943,280; 7,019,196; 7,345,221; 7,399,905;7,495,153; 7,754,947; 7,786,360; 8,598,080; 8,841,525; 8,841,526;8,946,528; 9,029,642; 9,090,904; 9,220,220; 9,480,219; 9,499,834; and10,064,355. These herbicide-tolerant rice plants are resistant to ortolerant of herbicides that normally inhibit the growth of rice plants.Thus, rice growers now can control weeds that previously were difficultto control in rice fields, including “red rice.” “Red rice” is a weedyrelative of cultivated rice, and had previously been difficult tocontrol because it actually belongs to the same genus (Oryza), andsometimes even the same species (O. sativa) as cultivated rice. Onlyrecently, when herbicide-tolerant rice became available, did it becomepossible to control red rice with herbicides in fields where cultivatedrice was growing contemporaneously. There are currently only a limitednumber of herbicide-tolerant rice cultivars and hybrids availablecommercially. There is a continuing need for new herbicide-tolerantcultivars and hybrids—that is, rice plants that not only express adesired herbicide-tolerant phenotype, but that also possess otheragronomically desirable characteristics. Additional herbicide-tolerantcultivars and hybrids will provide rice growers greater flexibility inplanting and managing crops.

The inventors and their collaborators have publicly mentioned workinvolving ‘CLL17’ (or LA2097) at LSU-sponsored growers meetings andfield days at various locations on various dates ranging from Nov. 13,2018 through Jan. 15, 2020. However, no outside parties were ever givenaccess to or samples of any plants or seeds on any of those occasions.Representative of the presentations shown at these meetings are: A.Famoso, “2019 Acadia Rice Producers Meeting: Rice Variety Update”; A.Famoso, “2019 Cotton & Rice Conference: Rice Variety Update”; and A.Famoso, “2020 Acadia Ag Producers Meeting: Rice Variety Update.”

See also 108th Annual Research Report, H. Rouse Caffey Rice ResearchStation 2016, p. 70 (published April 2017); 109th Annual ResearchReport, H. Rouse Caffey Rice

Research Station 2017, pp. 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 19, 21, and 76 (publishedMay 2018); and 110 Annual Research Report, H. Rouse Caffey Rice ResearchStation 2018, pp. 6, 10, 12, 14, 17, 20, and 113 (published April 2019).

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

We have discovered a novel, herbicide-tolerant, high yielding, earlymaturing, semidwarf, long-grain rice cultivar designated ‘CLL17’ (formerexperimental designations LA1602097 and LA2097). Over four years oftesting at various locations, on average the yield of ‘CLL17’ has been9% higher than that of CL111, 7% higher than that of CL153, and 18%higher than that of Cheniere. The grain quality is very good, with chalklevels slightly higher than those of CL111 and CL153. ‘CLL17’ hastypical southern long grain cereal chemistry quality and cookingcharacteristics.

This invention also pertains to methods for producing a hybrid or newvariety by crossing the rice variety ‘CLL17’ with another rice line, oneor more times. Thus any such methods using the rice variety ‘CLL17’ areaspects of this invention, including backcrossing, hybrid production,crosses to populations, and other breeding methods involving ‘CLL17.’Hybrid plants produced using the rice variety ‘CLL17’ as a parent arealso within the scope of this invention. Optionally, either parent can;through routine manipulation of cytoplasmic or other factors throughtechniques known in the art, be produced in a male-sterile form.

In another embodiment, this invention allows for single-gene convertedplants of ‘CLL17.’ The single transferred gene may be a dominant orrecessive allele. Preferably, the single transferred gene confers atrait such as resistance to insects; resistance to one or morebacterial, fungal or viral diseases; male fertility or sterility;enhanced nutritional quality; enhanced processing qualities; or anadditional source of herbicide resistance. The single gene may be anaturally occurring rice gene or a transgene introduced through geneticengineering techniques known in the art. The single gene also may beintroduced through traditional backcrossing techniques or genetictransformation techniques known in the art.

In another embodiment, this invention provides regenerable cells for usein tissue culture of rice plant ‘CLL17.’ The tissue culture may allowfor regeneration of plants having physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of rice plant ‘CLL17’ and of regenerating plants havingsubstantially the same genotype as rice plant ‘CLL17.’ Tissue culturetechniques for rice are known in the art. The regenerable cells intissue culture may be derived from sources such as embryos, protoplasts,meristematic cells, callus, pollen, leaves, anthers, root tips, flowers,seeds, panicles, or stems. In addition, the invention provides riceplants regenerated from such tissue cultures.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method forcontrolling weeds in the vicinity of rice. The method comprisescontacting the rice with a herbicide, wherein said rice belongs to anyof (a) variety ‘CLL17’ or (b) a hybrid, derivative, or progeny of‘CLL17’ that expresses the imidazolinone herbicide resistancecharacteristics of ‘CLL17.’

In some embodiments, the herbicide is an imidazolinone herbicide, asulfonylurea herbicide, or a combination thereof.

In one embodiment, the rice is a rice plant and said contactingcomprises applying the herbicide in the vicinity of the rice plant.

In another embodiment, the herbicide is applied to weeds in the vicinityof the rice plant.

In still further embodiments, the rice is a rice seed and saidcontacting comprises applying the herbicide to the rice seed.

In some embodiments, the present invention provides a method fortreating rice. The method comprises contacting the rice with anagronomically acceptable composition, wherein said rice belongs to anyof (a) variety ‘CLL17’ or (b) a hybrid, derivative, or progeny of‘CLL17’ that expresses the imidazolinone herbicide resistancecharacteristics of ‘CLL17.’

In one embodiment, the agronomically acceptable composition comprises atleast one agronomically acceptable active ingredient.

In another embodiment, the agronomically acceptable active ingredient isselected from the group consisting of fungicides, insecticides,antibiotics, stress tolerance-enhancing compounds, growth promoters,herbicides, molluscicides, rodenticides, animal repellants, andcombinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the rice plants of the present invention includeplants that comprise an AHASL polypeptide (acetohydroxyacid synthaselarge subunit) having, relative to the wild-type AHASL polypeptide, anasparagine (N) at amino acid position 653 (Arabidopsis thaliana AHASLnumbering) or equivalent position, wherein such a plant has increasedtolerance to an imidazolinone herbicide when compared to a wild-typerice plant.

Amino acid position 653 of Arabidopsis thaliana AHASL corresponds toamino acid position 627 of Oryza sativa AHASL. In the wild-type riceAHASL polypeptide, this position is a serine.

In other embodiments, the rice plants of the present invention includeplants that comprise an AHASL polypeptide having a full-length, matureAHASL sequence variant, wherein there is an asparagine at amino acidposition 653 (Arabidopsis thaliana AHASL numbering) or equivalentposition and (ii) one or more conservative substitutions at one or morenon-essential amino acid residues.

In one embodiment, the full-length, mature AHASL sequence variant has,over the full-length of the variant, at least about 95%, illustratively,at least about: 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, 99.5%, and 99.9% sequenceidentity to the wild type, aside from the serine-asparagine substitutiondescribed above.

In some embodiments, the present invention provides a progeny rice lineor variety obtainable from rice line ‘CLL17,’ a representative sample ofseeds of said line ‘CLL17’ having been deposited under ATCC AccessionNo. PTA-126613, said line ‘CLL17’ having been produced by a processcomprising:

(a) providing a rice seed of the Cypress variety (USDA ARS GRIN NPGSAccession No. PI 561734); and(b) mutagenizing said rice seed to produce an altered plant thatcontains in its genome an AHASL gene encoding an AHASL polypeptidehaving, relative to the wild-type AHASL polypeptide of the Cypress rice,an asparagine (N) substitution at amino acid position 653 (Arabidopsisthaliana AHASL numbering) or equivalent position, and further breedingthe altered plant,wherein said altered plant of step (b) exhibits, upon expression of saidAHASL gene, an increased tolerance to an imidazolinone herbicide ascompared to that of plants of said Cypress variety, and plants of saidline ‘CLL17’ and plants of said progeny line or variety contain saidAHASL gene and exhibit said increased tolerance.

In other embodiments, the present invention provides a progeny rice lineor variety obtained from rice line ‘CLL17,’ a representative sample ofseeds of said line ‘CLL17’ having been deposited under ATCC AccessionNo. PTA-126613, said line ‘CLL17’ having been produced by a processcomprising:

(a) providing a rice seed of the Cypress variety (USDA ARS GRIN NPGSAccession No. PI 561734); and(b) mutagenizing said rice seed to produce an altered plant thatcontains in its genome an AHASL gene encoding an AHASL polypeptidehaving, relative to the wild-type AHASL polypeptide of the Cypress rice,an asparagine (N) substitution at amino acid position 653 (Arabidopsisthaliana AHASL numbering) or equivalent position, and further breedingthe altered plant,wherein said altered plant of step (b) exhibits, upon expression of saidAHASL gene, an increased tolerance to an imidazolinone herbicide ascompared to that of plants of said Cypress variety, and plants of saidline ‘CLL17’ and plants of said progeny line or variety contain saidAHASL gene and exhibit said increased tolerance.

In some embodiments, the present invention provides a progeny rice plantobtainable from rice line ‘CLL17,’ a representative sample of seeds ofsaid line ‘CLL17’ having been deposited under ATCC Accession No.PTA-126613, said line ‘CLL17’ having been produced by a processcomprising:

(a) providing a rice seed of the Cypress variety (USDA ARS GRIN NPGSAccession No. PI 561734); and(b) mutagenizing said rice seed to produce an altered plant thatcontains in its genome an AHASL gene encoding an AHASL polypeptidehaving, relative to the wild-type AHASL polypeptide of the Cypress rice,an asparagine (N) substitution at amino acid position 653 (Arabidopsisthaliana AHASL numbering) or equivalent position, and further breedingthe altered plant,wherein said altered plant of step (b) exhibits, upon expression of saidAHASL gene, an increased tolerance to an imidazolinone herbicide ascompared to that of plants of said Cypress variety, and plants of saidline ‘CLL17’ and said progeny rice plant comprise said AHASL gene andexhibit said increased tolerance.

In some embodiments, the present invention provides a progeny rice plantobtained from rice line ‘CLL17,’ a representative sample of seeds ofsaid line ‘CLL17’ having been deposited under ATCC Accession No.PTA-126613, said line ‘CLL17’ having been produced by a processcomprising:

(a) providing a rice seed of the Cypress variety (USDA ARS GRIN NPGSAccession No. PI 561734); and(b) mutagenizing said rice seed to produce an altered plant thatcontains in its genome an AHASL gene encoding an AHASL polypeptidehaving, relative to the wild-type AHASL polypeptide of the Cypress rice,an asparagine (N) substitution at amino acid position 653 (Arabidopsisthaliana AHASL numbering) or equivalent position, and further breedingthe altered plant,wherein said altered plant of step (b) exhibits, upon expression of saidAHASL gene, an increased tolerance to an imidazolinone herbicide ascompared to that of plants of said Cypress variety, and plants of saidline ‘CLL17’ and said progeny rice plant comprise said AHASL gene andexhibit said increased tolerance.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a progeny riceplant of rice line ‘CLL17,’ a representative sample of seeds of saidline ‘CLL17’ having been deposited under ATCC Accession No. PTA-126613,the progeny rice plant being obtainable by a process comprising:

(a) providing a plant of line ‘CLL17,’ or tissue, seed, or cell thereof;and(b) mutagenizing or transforming said plant, tissue, seed, or cell ofstep (a) to produce an altered plant that contains in its genome anAHASL gene encoding an AHASL polypeptide having, relative to thewild-type AHASL polypeptide of a wild-type rice plant, an asparagine (N)substitution at amino acid position 653 (Arabidopsis thaliana AHASLnumbering) or equivalent position, and optionally further breeding thealtered plant,wherein said altered plant of step (b) exhibits, upon expression of saidAHASL gene, an increased tolerance to an imidazolinone herbicide ascompared to that of the wild-type rice plant.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a progeny riceplant of rice line ‘CLL17,’ a representative sample of seeds of saidline ‘CLL17’ having been deposited under ATCC Accession No. PTA-126613,the progeny rice plant being obtained by a process comprising:

(a) providing a plant of line ‘CLL17,’ or tissue, seed, or cell thereof;and(b) mutagenizing or transforming said plant, tissue, seed, or cell ofstep (a) to produce an altered plant that contains in its genome anAHASL gene encoding an AHASL polypeptide having, relative to thewild-type AHASL polypeptide of a wild-type rice plant, an asparagine (N)substitution at amino acid position 653 (Arabidopsis thaliana AHASLnumbering) or equivalent position, and optionally further breeding thealtered plant,wherein said altered plant of step (b) exhibits, upon expression of saidAHASL gene, an increased tolerance to an imidazolinone herbicide ascompared to that of the wild-type rice plant.

In other embodiments, the present invention provides a method forcontrolling weeds in a field, said method comprising: growing, in afield, a plant according to the present invention; and contacting saidplant and weeds in the field with an effective amount of anAHAS-inhibiting herbicide to which the plant is tolerant, therebycontrolling the weeds.

In some embodiments, improved rice plants and rice lines havingtolerance to at least one AHAS-inhibitor herbicide are provided. In someembodiments, the AHAS-inhibitor herbicide is an imidazolinone herbicide.In some embodiments, the imidazolinone herbicide is imazethapyr,imazaquin, imazapyr, imazamox, or combinations thereof. Several examplesof commercially available imidazolinone herbicides are, withoutlimitation, PURSUIT® (imazethapyr), SCEPTER® (imazaquin), ARSENAL®(imazapyr), and RaptorTM Herbicide (imazamox). In some embodiments, theAHAS-inhibitor herbicide is a sulfonylurea herbicide. In one embodiment,the sulfonylurea herbicide is nicosulfuron.

The rice plants and rice lines of the present invention also provide forimproved systems and methods for controlling weeds using at least oneAHAS-inhibitor herbicide. In some embodiments, the AHAS-inhibitorherbicide is an imidazolinone herbicide. In some embodiments, theimidazolinone herbicide is imazethapyr, imazaquin, imazapyr, imazamox,or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the AHAS-inhibitorherbicide is a sulfonylurea herbicide. In one embodiment, thesulfonylurea herbicide is nicosulfuron.

In some embodiments, the AHAS-inhibitor herbicide is an imidazolinoneherbicide, a sulfonylurea herbicide, or combinations thereof.

Definitions

The following definitions apply throughout the specification and claims,unless context clearly indicates otherwise:

“Days to 50% heading.” Average number of days from seeding to the daywhen 50% of all panicles are exerted at least partially through the leafsheath. A measure of maturity.

“Grain Yield.” Grain yield is measured in pounds per acre, at 12.0%moisture. Grain yield depends on a number of factors, including thenumber of panicles per unit area, the number of fertile florets perpanicle, and grain weight per floret.

“Lodging Percent.” Lodging is a subjectively measured rating, and is thepercentage of plant stems leaning or fallen completely to the groundbefore harvest.

“Grain Length (L).” Length of a rice grain, or average length, measuredin millimeters.

“Grain Width (W).” Width of a rice grain, or average width, measured inmillimeters.

“Length/Width (L/W) Ratio.” This ratio is determined by dividing theaverage length (L) by the average width (W).

“1000 Grain Wt.” The weight of 1000 rice grains, measured in grams.

“Harvest Moisture.” The percentage moisture in the grain when harvested.

“Plant Height.” Plant height in centimeters, measured from soil surfaceto the tip of the extended panicle at harvest.

“Apparent Amylose Percent.” The percentage of the endosperm starch ofmilled rice that is amylose. The apparent amylose percent is animportant grain characteristic that affects cooking behavior. Standardlong grains contain 20 to 23 percent amylose. Rexmont-type long grainscontain 24 to 25 percent amylose. Short and medium grains contain 13 to19 percent amylose. Waxy rice contains zero percent amylose. Amylosevalues, like most characteristics of rice, depend on the environment.“Apparent” refers to the procedure for determining amylose, which mayalso involve measuring some long chain amylopectin molecules that bindto some of the amylose molecules. These amylopectin molecules actuallyact similar to amylose in determining the relative hard or soft cookingcharacteristics.

“Alkali Spreading Value.” An index that measures the extent ofdisintegration of the milled rice kernel when in contact with dilutealkali solution. It is an indicator of gelatinization temperature.Standard long grains have a 3 to 5 Alkali Spreading Value (intermediategelatinization temperature).

“Peak Viscosity.” The maximum viscosity attained during heating when astandardized, instrument-specific protocol is applied to a defined riceflour-water slurry.

“Trough Viscosity.” The minimum viscosity after the peak, normallyoccurring when the sample starts to cool.

“Final Viscosity.” Viscosity at the end of the test or cold paste.

“Breakdown.” The peak viscosity minus the hot paste viscosity.

“Setback.” Setback 1 is the final viscosity minus the trough viscosity.Setback 2 is the final viscosity minus the peak viscosity.

“RVA Viscosity.” Viscosity, as measured by a Rapid Visco Analyzer, awidely used laboratory instrument to examine the paste viscosity orthickening ability of milled rice during the cooking process.

“Hot Paste Viscosity.” Viscosity measure of rice flour/water slurryafter being heated to 95° C. Lower values indicate softer and stickiercooking types of rice.

“Cool Paste Viscosity.” Viscosity measure of rice flour/water slurryafter being heated to 95° C. and uniformly cooled to 50° C. Values lessthan 200 indicate softer cooking types of rice.

“Allele.” An allele is any of one or more alternate forms of the samegene. In a diploid cell or organism such as rice, the two alleles of agiven gene occupy corresponding loci on a pair of homologouschromosomes.

“Backcrossing.” Backcrossing is a process in which a breeder repeatedlycrosses hybrid progeny back to one of the parents, for example, crossinga first generation hybrid F₁ with one of the parental genotypes of theF_(i) hybrid, and then crossing a second generation hybrid F₂ with thesame parental genotype, and so forth.

“Essentially all the physiological and morphological characteristics.” Aplant having “essentially all the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics” of a specified plant refers to a plant having the samegeneral physiological and morphological characteristics, except forthose characteristics that are derived from a particular converted gene.

“Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL).” Quantitative trait loci (QTL) refer togenetic loci that to some degree control numerically measurable traits,generally traits that are continuously distributed.

“Regeneration.” Regeneration refers to the development of a plant fromtissue culture.

“Single Gene Converted (Conversion).” Single gene converted (conversion)includes plants developed by backcrossing, wherein essentially all ofthe desired morphological and physiological characteristics of aparental variety are recovered, while also retaining a single gene thatis transferred into the plants via crossing and backcrossing. The termcan also refer to the introduction of a single gene through geneticengineering techniques known in the art.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

‘CLL17’ is a semidwarf, early-maturing, long-grain, herbicide-tolerantrice line with excellent grain yield, very good grain quality, andresistance to blast disease. It was developed using a pedigree selectionsystem at the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center's RiceResearch Station (RRS) in Crowley, Louisiana. ‘CLL17’ was selected fromthe cross CL131/Trenasse, which was made at the Rice Research Station in2011. CL131 is a long-grain, herbicide-tolerant variety disclosed, forexample, in U.S. Pat. No. 9,220,220, and deposited as ATCC depositPTA-6824. Trenasse is a long-grain, conventional(non-herbicide-tolerant) variety disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat.No. 7,253,347, and deposited as ATCC deposit PTA-6825. ‘CLL17’ wasdeveloped from the bulk of a single F₄ line (14S0383) made at the Lajas,Puerto Rico winter nursery in 2015. ‘CLL17’ was evaluated in theClearfield Preliminary Yield Trial “CLPS” at the Rice Research Stationin 2015 with the experimental designation CLPS 032, before being enteredinto the Cooperative Uniform Regional Rice Nurseries (URN) in 2016 withthe designation RU1602097.

The herbicide resistance characteristics of ‘CLL17’ are essentiallyidentical by virtue of common ancestry to the herbicide resistancecharacteristics of the variety ‘CL161’ (ATCC deposit PTA-904), which isalso known as line PWC16 as disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,943,280 and7,019,196, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety. ‘CL161’ is a herbicide-tolerant variety derived at theLouisiana Rice Research Station by mutation breeding from the originalvariety ‘Cypress.’ Further, U.S. Pat. No. 6,943,280 discloses that inthe AHAS enzyme DNA sequence of line PWC16, the codon corresponding toamino acid 627 is AAT, which encodes asparagine, versus AGT (serine) forthe wild-type, and that this serine-to-asparagine substitution isbelieved to be responsible for the herbicide resistance displayed by theAHAS enzyme of line PWC16. See, e.g., the 19th sequence listing in the6,943,280. (For clarity, note that the AHAS amino acid numberingconvention used in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,943,280 differs from that used insome other references.) ‘CLL17’ and its hybrids and derived varietiesare adapted for growing throughout the rice growing areas of Louisiana,Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi and Missouri; and will also be well suitedfor growing in many other rice-producing areas throughout the world.

After the initial cross was made, the line was harvested and selectedthrough early generations for phenotypic superiority for characteristicssuch as short plant architecture, grain shape and uniformity, seedlingvigor, tiller number, and grain size. In later generations (during seedincrease), the line was selected for uniformity and purity both withinand between panicle rows. Variants removed from ‘CLL17’ seed-increasefields were primarily taller or later plants. Other variants removedincluded those with any one or more of the following: leaf pubescence,earlier, shorter, medium grain, intermediate grain, gold hull, andlighter colored leaf. The overall incidence of variants was less than 1per 10,000 plants. Foundation seed rice was grown, beginning with the F₇generation. Seed from the F₅, F₆, and F₇ generations was entered into anexperimental line testing program, and was also tested at severallocations in Louisiana rice producing areas. ‘CLL17’ has been observedto be stable for at least three generations.

TABLE A Origin and Breeding History of ‘CLL17’ Pedigree-CL131/TrenasseYear Generation Test (Entry #) 2011 F0 11CR 129 2012 F1 12T 003 2013 F213F7007-7008 2014 F3 14-14413 2014 F4 14S 0383 (Puerto Rico) 2015 F5CLPS 032 2016 F6 URN 097, CLR 007, CLPR 208, CLPS 213, DP 013 2017 F7URN 005, CA 245, CLTX 002, DP 011 2018 F8 URN 006, CA 218 2019 F9 URN006, CA 018, CL MULTI 018, CLPR 196, DP 007

‘CLL17’ averaged 39 inches (99 cm) in height in yield tests acrossLouisiana, which is one inch (2.5 cm) taller than CL111, two inches (5cm) taller than CL153, and three inches (7.6 cm) taller than Cheniere.At 81 days to 50% heading, it is one day earlier than CL153, two daysearlier than Cheniere, and two days later than CL111. The leaves, lemmaand palea of ‘CLL17’ are glabrous. The spikelet is straw-colored and theapiculus is purple. The grain is non-aromatic.

‘CLL17’ has a typical long-grain cooking quality with intermediateamylose content and gelatinization temperature. The average amylosecontent of CLL17 is 21.9 compared with 22.8, 20.8 and 24.8 for CL111,CL153 and Cheniere, respectively. The average alkali spread value ofCLL17, CL111, CL153, and Cheniere are 4.1, 4.2, 4.2, and 4,respectively.

‘CLL17’ is susceptible to sheath blight, moderately susceptible tobacterial panicle blight and straighthead, and resistant to blast andCercospora.

Variants observed and removed from increase fields of ‘CLL17’ includedany combination of the following: pubescent, taller, shorter, later,earlier, short-, medium- and intermediate-grain types, gold and blackhull and sterile panicle. The total numbers of variants were fewer than1 per 10,000 plants.

VARIETY DESCRIPTION INFORMATION

Rice cultivar ‘CLL17’ was observed to possess the followingmorphological and other characteristics, based on averages of testsconducted at multiple over several growing seasons; data for othervarieties are shown for comparison:

TABLE B Data Summary Performance Number Trait ‘CLL17’ CL111 CL153CHENIERE of Tests Reference Yield 7841 7155 7330 6653 59 Tables 1-4Whole 61.7 62.3 62.1 62.9 41 Tables 5-8 Total 69.5 71.4 70.6 72.4 41Tables 9-12 Length-Rough 9.01 9.34 9.51 9.33 Table 27 Width-Rough 2.572.61 2.42 2.36 Table 27 L/W Ratio-Rough 3.53 3.58 3.92 3.95 Table 27Thickness-Rough 1.84 1.96 2.05 1.86 Table 27 Weight-Rough 22.05 26.925.3 24.0 Table 27 Table 27 Length-Brown 6.88 7.31 7.26 7.24 Table 27Width-Brown 2.26 2.27 2.1 2.16 Table 27 L/W Ratio-Brown 3.05 3.22 3.453.35 Table 27 Thickness-Brown 1.67 1.74 1.81 1.62 Table 27 Weight-Brown19.2 22.3 22.2 19.49 Table 27 Table 27 Length-Milled 6.77 6.85 6.95 6.92Table 27 Width-Milled 2.14 2.15 2.01 2.08 Table 27 L/W Ratio-Milled 3.183.18 3.45 3.33 Table 27 Thickness-Milled 1.61 1.68 1.7 1.60 Table 27Weight-Milled 17.45 19.3 19.3 18.01 Table 27 Vigor 4 4 4 4 41 Tables13-16 Height 39 38 37 36 52 Tables 17-20 Days to 50% 81 79 82 83 52Tables 21-24 Sheath Blight 6.2 6.7 5.9 6.0 Table 26 Rotten Neck Blast0.6 1.0 0.9 2.5 Table 26 Blast 1.5 0.9 0.9 4.1 Table 26 Cercospora 0.00.0 2.0 4.0 Table 26 Bacterial Panicle 3.9 5.1 3.6 2.6 Table 26 BlightStraighthead 5.1 5.1 5.2 4.2 3 Table 25

TABLE 1 Average main crop yields (lb/A) for CLL17, CL111, CL153 andCheniere across several trials at multiple locations (2015 and 2016).YEAR TEST CLL17 CL111 CL153 CHENIERE 2015 CLPS-RRS 9485 8570 9108 N/A2016 URN-LOUISIANA 9415 8797 9388 8731 URN-ARKANSAS 5861 7567 6829 5866URN-MISSISSIPPI 9228 10032 10240 9330 URN-TEXAS 6406 6753 7229 6697 2016Average 7728 8287 8422 7656 2015 and 2016 8079 8344 8559 7656 GrandAverage Abbreviations: CLPY = Clearfield Preliminary Yield Test, URN =Uniform Regional Nursery, CL MULTI = Clearfield test conducted atvarious locations, DATE OF PLANTING = series of tests in which the sameline is planted on eight different dates approximately two weeks apart,RRS = Louisiana State University Rice Research Station (Crowley, LA)(Note: multiply lb/A by 1.121 to obtain kg/ha)

TABLE 2 Average main crop yields (lb/A) for CLL17, CL111, CL153 andCheniere across several trials at multiple locations (2017). YEAR TESTCLL17 CL111 CL153 CHENIERE 2017 CA-RRS 8852 7830 8523 8346 CA-ACADIA7391 6610 7410 5984 CA-EVANGELINE 6817 5547 7271 6152 CA-JEFF DAVIS 80727233 7827 7390 CA-LAKE 7242 6418 7451 6806 ARTHUR CA-ST. LANDRY 69245096 7006 7406 CA-ST JOE 9671 8156 8292 8935 CL-TEXAS 10752 10671 10393N/A DATE OF 9168 7579 7916 7879 PLANTING 1 DATE OF 8742 8135 7676 7402PLANTING 2 DATE OF 8444 8003 8342 6109 PLANTING 3 DATE OF 8326 7878 79685997 PLANTING 4 DATE OF 6850 6007 7303 5861 PLANTING 5 DATE OF 6990 48715775 4125 PLANTING 6 DATE OF 6693 5781 5253 3458 PLANTING 7 DATE OF 70486532 6791 4629 PLANTING 8 DATE OF 6142 5632 5712 5242 PLANTING 9URN-LOUISIANA 7530 8615 7245 6857 URN-ARKANSAS 9615 8527 9497 8783URN-MISSOURI 8293 8615 7766 7228 URN-MISSISSIPPI 10639 9767 10187 9892URN-TEXAS 6459 5494 5636 N/A 2017 Average 8030 7227 7602 6724

TABLE 3 Average main crop yields (lb/A) for CLL17, CL111, CL153 andCheniere across several trials at multiple locations (2018). YEAR TESTCLL17 CL111 CL153 CHENIERE 2018 CA-RRS 10050 9044 8899 9174 CA-ACADIA6189 5065 5276 5179 CA-EVANGELINE 9028 8413 9620 8878 CA-JEFF DAVIS 77737577 7579 6088 CA-LAKE 8371 7969 7329 7038 ARTHUR CA-ST. LANDRY 94958231 7918 8691 CA-ST JOE 10278 9545 8786 6952 URN-LOUISIANA 10251 87989021 9147 URN-ARKANSAS 8459 8153 8789 8892 URN-MISSOURI 4511 5453 65876695 URN-MISSISSIPPI 9312 6235 7408 9132 URN-TEXAS 10719 6875 8356 63812018 Average 8703 7613 7964 7687

TABLE 4 Average main crop yields (lb/A) for CLL17, CL111, CL153 andCheniere across several trials at multiple locations (2019). YEAR TESTCLL17 CL111 CL153 CHENIERE 2019 CA-RRS 9829 9705 10143 7647 CA-RRS LATE5499 5825 6619 7938 CA-ACADIA 4931 5276 5659 5065 CA-EVANGELINE 55275343 5369 1991 CA-IOWA 3641 5343 3370 4888 CA-LAKE 6566 5813 3658 2473ARTHUR CA-ST. LANDRY 7880 7078 7002 7058 CA-ST JOE 9775 7608 9500 9244CL MULTI-RRS 9036 7935 7861 N/A CL MULTI-LAKE 7666 5741 4758 N/A ARTHURCL-TEXAS 8545 6729 8632 N/A CLPR-RRS 8056 7803 6763 N/A DATE OF 58075987 4077 4967 PLANTING 1 DATE OF 6254 6416 7152 5975 PLANTING 2 DATE OF6971 7466 7828 6697 PLANTING 3 DATE OF 6236 5847 5699 5380 PLANTING 4DATE OF 7066 5948 5481 4722 PLANTING 5 DATE OF 5496 4033 3497 2734PLANTING 6 DATE OF 5549 3670 3209 2598 PLANTING 7 URN-LOUISIANA 1079310480 10579 9211 2019 Average 7056 6502 6343 5537

TABLE 5 Whole rice yield (%) for CLL17, CL111, CL153 and Cheniere acrossseveral trials at multiple locations (2015 and 2016). YEAR TEST CLL17CL111 CL153 CHENIERE 2015 CLPS-RRS 71.7 70.9 74.1 N/A 2016 URN-LOUISIANA66.1 67.0 65.3 65.0 URN-ARKANSAS 46.4 62.5 54.3 63.3 URN-MISSISSIPPI63.9 65.6 65.6 66.8 URN-TEXAS 58.0 57.0 63.0 63.0 2016 Average 58.6 63.062.1 64.5 2015 and 2016 61.2 64.6 64.5 64.5 Grand Average

TABLE 6 Whole rice yield (%) for CLL17, CL111, CL153 and Cheniere acrossseveral trials at multiple locations (2017). YEAR TEST CLL17 CL111 CL153CHENIERE 2017 CA-RRS 60.4 61.3 55.5 69.1 CA-ACADIA 57.8 63.4 63.1 52.5CA-LAKE 59.3 59.5 63.4 60.1 ARTHUR URN-LOUISIANA 63.9 59.0 55.7 63.3URN-ARKANSAS 62.5 61.3 62.0 66.4 URN-MISSOURI 66.0 68.4 68.3 66.7URN-MISSISSIPPI 65.6 65.7 65.5 70.0 URN-TEXAS 58.8 61.1 56.8 59.3 DATEOF 66.3 68.3 67.0 65.4 PLANTING 1 DATE OF 64.7 67.5 67.7 65.0 PLANTING 2DATE OF 68.4 62.3 65.6 67.9 PLANTING 3 DATE OF 64.5 65.9 64.4 48.6PLANTING 4 DATE OF 63.4 61.7 65.2 64.9 PLANTING 5 DATE OF 64.4 65.8 62.564.9 PLANTING 6 DATE OF 64.1 63.2 62.6 65.5 PLANTING 7 DATE OF 60.8 49.955.5 63.3 PLANTING 8 DATE OF 68.2 69.1 64.8 71.5 PLANTING 9 2017 Average63.5 63.1 62.7 63.8

TABLE 7 Whole rice yield (%) for CLL17, CL111, CL153 and Cheniere acrossseveral trials at multiple locations (2018). YEAR TEST CLL17 CL111 CL153CHENIERE 2018 CA - RRS 58.9 58.2 59.2 59.6 CA - LAKE ARTHUR 59.3 56.659.5 57.1 URN - LOUISIANA 60.9 57.4 60.9 58.2 URN - ARKANSAS 60.6 63.964.5 66.4 URN - MISSOURI 63.9 63.5 65.1 67.5 URN - MISSISSIPPI 62.9 59.262.7 62.0 URN - TEXAS 60.5 57.5 58.7 56.8 2018 Average 61.0 59.5 61.561.1

TABLE 8 Whole rice yield (%) for CLL17, CL111, CL153 and Cheniere acrossseveral trials at multiple locations (2019). YEAR TEST CLL17 CL111 CL153CHENIERE 2019 CA - RRS 54.2 64.8 61.9 62.3 CA - RRS LATE 57.9 61.1 59.565.0 CL MULTI - RRS 64.7 64.8 64.5 N/A CLPR - RRS 57.3 61.6 56.6 N/ADATE OF 63.5 63.8 60.6 65.0 PLANTING 1 DATE OF 62.9 63.7 62.1 62.6PLANTING 2 DATE OF 62.0 65.9 65.3 63.1 PLANTING 3 DATE OF 62.3 64.9 59.561.0 PLANTING 4 DATE OF 59.5 58.7 56.0 60.6 PLANTING 5 DATE OF 52.0 51.652.5 54.9 PLANTING 6 DATE OF 58.5 56.4 61.4 59.9 PLANTING 7 URN -LOUISIANA 62.3 65.1 66.7 66.9 2019 Average 59.8 61.9 60.6 62.1

TABLE 9 Total rice yield (%) for CLL17, CL111, CL153 and Cheniere acrossseveral trials at multiple locations (2015 and 2016). YEAR TEST CLL17CL111 CL153 CHENIERE 2015 CLPS - RRS 75.9 76.9 78.2 N/A 2016 URN -LOUISIANA 72.2 74.9 71.2 72.5 URN - ARKANSAS 61.5 70.0 65.4 71.4 URN -MISSISSIPPI 69.7 71.5 70.6 72.2 URN - TEXAS 66.0 72.0 72.0 71.0 2016Average 67.3 72.1 69.8 71.8 2015 and 2016 69.1 73.1 71.5 71.8 GrandAverage

TABLE 10 Total rice yield (%) for CLL17, CL111, CL153 andCheniere acrossseveral trials at multiple locations (2017). YEAR TEST CLL17 CL111 CL153CHENIERE 2017 CA - RRS 73.4 76.5 75.5 78.4 CA - ACADIA 66.5 71.4 72.169.6 CA - LAKE 69.9 69.1 73.3 74.7 ARTHUR URN - LOUISIANA 72.8 74.1 73.773.7 URN - ARKANSAS 69.8 70.5 69.6 72.1 URN - MISSOURI 69.9 73.2 73.174.7 URN - MISSISSIPPI 71.1 72.4 71.7 75.4 URN - TEXAS 70.0 70.0 68.772.1 DATE OF 72.1 72.9 72.1 73.7 PLANTING 1 DATE OF 70.2 72.8 73.3 74.6PLANTING 2 DATE OF 72.7 72.1 71.6 74.9 PLANTING 3 DATE OF 69.8 71.0 71.174.1 PLANTING 4 DATE OF 70.0 70.9 71.3 72.3 PLANTING 5 DATE OF 70.6 71.670.8 72.3 PLANTING 6 DATE OF 69.2 71.4 71.2 73.1 PLANTING 7 DATE OF 72.473.5 72.9 75.5 PLANTING 8 DATE OF 73.1 73.9 73.7 76.3 PLANTING 9 2017Average 70.8 72.2 72.1 74.0

TABLE 11 Total rice yield (%) for CLL17, CL111, CL153 and Cheniereacross several trials at multiple locations (2018). YEAR TEST CLL17CL111 CL153 CHENIERE 2018 CA - RRS 67.2 68.7 67.0 70.0 CA - LAKE ARTHUR68.5 68.3 68.0 68.1 URN - LOUISIANA 68.6 70.4 69.8 71.9 URN - ARKANSAS68.6 70.8 70.4 73.2 URN - MISSOURI 70.8 72.6 72.3 74.1 URN - MISSISSIPPI69.1 69.7 70.3 71.0 URN - TEXAS 70.6 71.7 70.3 71.3 2018 Average 69.170.3 69.7 71.4

TABLE 12 Total rice yield (%) for CLL17, CL111, CL153 and Cheniereacross several trials at multiple locations (2019). YEAR TEST CLL17CL111 CL153 CHENIERE 2019 CA - RRS 68.3 71.0 70.0 70.6 CA - RRS LATE66.5 69.2 68.4 70.6 CL MULTI - RRS 70.3 72.0 70.5 N/A CLPR - RRS 63.767.2 63.7 N/A DATE OF 68.7 71.8 68.1 72.3 PLANTING 1 DATE OF 68.5 71.669.5 71.2 PLANTING 2 DATE OF 68.5 72.0 70.4 71.3 PLANTING 3 DATE OF 68.671.3 67.3 69.6 PLANTING 4 DATE OF 68.0 69.5 68.9 70.2 PLANTING 5 DATE OF66.4 66.9 66.1 67.7 PLANTING 6 DATE OF 69.7 67.9 69.4 68.6 PLANTING 7URN - LOUISIANA 69.3 72.1 71.7 73.4 2019 Average 68.1 70.2 68.7 70.5

TABLE 13 Seedling vigor for CLL17, CL111, CL153 and Cheniere acrossseveral trials at multiple locations (2016). YEAR TEST CLL17 CL111 CL153CHENIERE 2016 URN - LOUISIANA 4 3 4 4 URN - ARKANSAS 3 3 3 3 2016Average 4 3 4 4

TABLE 14 Seedling vigor for CLL17, CL111, CL153 and Cheniere acrossseveral trials at multiple locations (2017). YEAR TEST CLL17 CL111 CL153CHENIERE 2017 CA - RRS 3 4 3 5 CA - ACADIA 3 5 4 5 CA - EVANGELINE 3 5 36 CA - JEFF DAVIS 4 7 5 6 CA - LAKE 4 6 4 6 ARTHUR CA - ST JOE 4 5 3 5CL - TEXAS 4 3 4 N/A DATE OF 3 3 4 4 PLANTING 1 DATE OF 4 4 4 4 PLANTING2 DATE OF 4 5 4 5 PLANTING 3 DATE OF 3 4 4 4 PLANTING 4 DATE OF 4 5 3 4PLANTING 5 DATE OF 3 4 3 4 PLANTING 6 DATE OF 3 4 3 5 PLANTING 7 DATE OF3 4 3 3 PLANTING 8 DATE OF 3 3 3 4 PLANTING 9 URN - LOUISIANA 5 4 3 4URN - ARKANSAS 3 3 3 3 2017 Average 4 4 4 5

TABLE 15 Seedling vigor for CLL17, CL111, CL153 and Cheniere acrossseveral trials at multiple locations (2018). YEAR TEST CLL17 CL111 CL153CHENIERE 2018 CA - RRS 3 4 4 4 CA - ACADIA 4 4 3 5 CA - EVANGELINE 5 3 45 CA - JEFF DAVIS 4 4 4 5 CA - LAKE ARTHUR 4 4 4 5 URN - LOUISIANA 5 4 34 URN - ARKANSAS 5 3 3 3 2018 Average 4 4 4 4

TABLE 16 Seedling vigor for CLL17, CL111, CL153 and Cheniere acrossseveral trials at multiple locations (2019). YEAR TEST CLL17 CL111 CL153CHENIERE 2019 CA - RRS 4 2 3 4 CA - RRS LATE 3 3 3 3 CA - ACADIA 5 4 6 4CA - IOWA 4 3 5 3 CL MULTI - RRS 4 3 3 N/A CLPR - RRS 2 2 2 N/A DATE OF6 5 6 6 PLANTING 1 DATE OF 5 4 5 4 PLANTING 2 DATE OF 2 3 3 3 PLANTING 3DATE OF 2 2 3 3 PLANTING 4 DATE OF 2 3 3 3 PLANTING 5 DATE OF 2 2 4 3PLANTING 6 DATE OF 3 3 3 3 PLANTING 7 URN - LOUISIANA 5 3 4 3 2019Average 3 3 4 3

TABLE 17 Mean plant height (in) for CLL17, CL111, CL153 and Cheniereacross several trials at multiple locations (2015 and 2016). (Note:multiply height inches by 2.54 to obtain height in cm) YEAR TEST CLL17CL111 CL153 CHENIERE 2015 CLPS - RRS 39 41 39 N/A 2016 URN - LOUISIANA39 38 37 36 URN - ARKANSAS 47 45 44 41 URN - MISSISSIPPI 47 45 44 39URN - TEXAS 34 35 35 34 2016 Average 42 41 40 38 2015 and 2016 41 41 4038 Grand Average

TABLE 18 Mean plant height (in) for CLL17, CL111, CL153 and Cheniereacross several trials at multiple locations (2017). YEAR TEST CLL17CL111 CL153 CHENIERE 2017 CA - RRS 38 35 35 34 CA - ACADIA 37 35 35 34CA - EVANGELINE 38 34 35 35 CA - JEFF DAVIS 36 35 34 34 CA - LAKE 37 3534 34 ARTHUR CA - ST. LANDRY 39 37 36 37 CA - ST JOE 39 38 36 37 CL -TEXAS 36 36 37 N/A DATE OF 34 32 31 32 PLANTING 1 DATE OF 35 33 31 31PLANTING 2 DATE OF 39 38 37 36 PLANTING 3 DATE OF 38 38 36 35 PLANTING 4DATE OF 39 40 38 38 PLANTING 5 DATE OF 39 37 36 35 PLANTING 6 DATE OF 3636 34 33 PLANTING 7 DATE OF 40 36 37 35 PLANTING 8 DATE OF 36 36 36 37PLANTING 9 URN - LOUISIANA 35 33 31 33 URN - ARKANSAS 42 39 40 39 URN -MISSOURI 45 47 40 38 URN - MISSISSIPPI 43 41 40 38 URN - TEXAS 37 32 3232 2017 Average 38 36 36 35

TABLE 19 Mean plant height (in) for CLL17, CL111, CL153 and Cheniereacross several trials at multiple locations (2018). YEAR TEST CLL17CL111 CL153 CHENIERE 2018 CA - RRS 34 37 34 34 CA - ACADIA 42 40 40 37CA - EVANGELINE 36 35 39 36 CA - JEFF DAVIS 38 38 39 36 CA - LAKE ARTHUR36 36 34 37 CA - ST. LANDRY 41 42 39 38 CA - ST JOE 39 38 37 35 URN -LOUISIANA 37 34 34 35 URN - ARKANSAS 41 43 42 41 URN - MISSOURI 44 43 4241 URN - MISSISSIPPI 41 42 40 40 URN - TEXAS 39 37 36 35 2018 Average 3939 38 37

TABLE 20 Mean plant height (in) for CLL17, CL111, CL153 and Cheniereacross several trials at multiple locations (2019). YEAR TEST CLL17CL111 CL153 CHENIERE 2019 CA - RRS 40 39 40 38 CA - RRS LATE 43 40 42 41CA - ACADIA 38 37 41 37 CA - IOWA 38 40 37 38 CA - ST. LANDRY 42 40 3938 CL MULTI - RRS 39 37 38 N/A CLPR - RRS 41 44 43 N/A DATE OF 36 36 3333 PLANTING 1 DATE OF 34 36 36 34 PLANTING 2 DATE OF 39 40 39 38PLANTING 3 DATE OF 37 37 36 36 PLANTING 4 DATE OF 37 36 36 33 PLANTING 5URN - LOUISIANA 42 40 41 38 2019 Average 39 39 39 37

TABLE 21 Mean number of days to 50% heading for CLL17, CL111, CL153 andCheniere across several trials at multiple locations (2015 and 2016).YEAR TEST CLL17 CL111 CL153 CHENIERE 2015 CLPS - RRS 70 69 72 N/A 2016URN - LOUISIANA 74 75 78 76 URN - ARKANSAS 89 85 87 87 URN - MISSISSIPPI73 73 77 79 URN - TEXAS 81 86 81 80 2016 Average 79 80 81 81 2015 and2016 77 77 79 81 Grand Average

TABLE 22 Mean number of days to 50% heading for CLL17, CL111, CL153 andCheniere across several trials at multiple locations (2017). YEAR TESTCLL17 CL111 CL153 CHENIERE 2017 CA - RRS 79 81 81 82 CA - ACADIA 87 7985 86 CA - EVANGELINE 91 83 90 96 CA - JEFF DAVIS 84 85 87 88 CA - LAKEARTHUR 83 83 84 84 CL - TEXAS 83 82 84 N/A DATE OF 99 96 101 98 PLANTING1 DATE OF 86 81 86 83 PLANTING 2 DATE OF 83 82 84 83 PLANTING 3 DATE OF74 75 77 74 PLANTING 4 DATE OF 83 80 83 81 PLANTING 5 DATE OF 79 72 7679 PLANTING 6 DATE OF 73 72 74 75 PLANTING 7 DATE OF 71 86 73 73PLANTING 8 DATE OF 68 69 67 67 PLANTING 9 URN - LOUISIANA 81 78 80 83URN - ARKANSAS 80 79 82 85 URN - MISSOURI 95 94 99 97 URN - MISSISSIPPI90 91 91 95 URN - TEXAS 86 81 89 89 2017 Average 83 80 84 84

TABLE 23 Mean number of days to 50% heading for CLL17, CL111, CL153 andCheniere across several trials at multiple locations (2018). YEAR TESTCLL17 CL111 CL153 CHENIERE 2018 CA - RRS 91 86 90 89 CA - ACADIA 89 8185 86 CA - EVANGELINE 86 83 86 84 CA - JEFF DAVIS 86 84 84 86 CA - LAKEARTHUR 86 83 88 85 CA - ST JOE 85 84 87 88 URN - LOUISIANA 91 89 91 90URN - ARKANSAS 79 78 81 82 URN - MISSOURI 90 90 92 95 URN - MISSISSIPPI79 76 78 81 URN - TEXAS 84 82 85 89 2018 Average 86 83 86 87

TABLE 24 Mean number of days to 50% heading for CLL17, CL111, CL153 andCheniere across several trials at multiple locations (2019). YEAR TESTCLL17 CL111 CL153 CHENIERE 2019 CA - RRS 84 79 84 84 CL - RRS LATE 69 6969 69 CA - ACADIA 87 83 86 86 CA - IOWA 76 71 77 77 CL MULTI - RRS 78 7679 N/A CL MULTI - LAKE 78 76 77 N/A ARTHUR CL - TEXAS 82 83 85 N/ACLPR - RRS 72 70 74 N/A DATE OF 82 82 84 85 PLANTING 1 DATE OF 77 76 7979 PLANTING 2 DATE OF 74 71 74 75 PLANTING 3 DATE OF 72 69 74 73PLANTING 4 DATE OF 70 69 72 71 PLANTING 5 DATE OF 72 69 73 74 PLANTING 6DATE OF 69 59 65 67 PLANTING 7 URN - LOUISIANA 82 80 83 84 2019 Average76 74 77 77

TABLE 25 Reaction of CLL17, CL111, CL153, and Cheniere to thephysiological disorder Straighthead (2016-2018). YEAR TEST CLL17 CL111CL153 CHENIERE 2016 RRS 4.3 5.3 4.7 4.3 2017 RRS 4.3 4.3 4.7 4.0 2018RRS 6.7 5.7 6.3 4.3 2016-2018 5.1 5.1 5.2 4.2 Grand Average * Using ascale of 0 = very resistant to 9 = very susceptible.

TABLE 26 Results of Crowley Disease Nursery, RRS (2016-2019) DISEASEYEAR CLL17 CL111 CL153 CHENIERE Sheath Blight 2016 5.0 6.5 4.8 6.3 20177.5 7.3 7.3 7.0 2018 6.0 6.8 5.3 4.5 2019 6.3 6.3 6.3 6.3 Grand Average6.2 6.7 5.9 6.0 Rating S VS S S Rotten Neck 2016 0.5 1.8 0.5 0.5 Blast2018 1.3 1.3 1.3 3.5 2019 0.0 0.0 0.8 3.3 Grand Average 0.6 1.0 0.9 2.5Rating R R R MS Leaf Blast 2017 2.8 2.3 2.0 3.8 2018 0.5 0.0 0.0 5.02019 1.3 0.5 0.5 3.5 Grand Average 1.5 0.9 0.9 4.1 Rating R R R MSBacterial Panicle 2016 3.5 5.2 2.9 2.0 Blight 2017 3.3 7.0 3.8 2.8 20182.8 3.0 2.8 1.3 2019 5.8 5.3 4.8 4.5 Grand Average 3.9 5.1 3.6 2.6Rating MS VS MS MS Narrow Brown 2019 0.0 0.0 2.0 4.0 Leaf Spot(Cercospora) * Using a scale of 0 = immune to 9 = maximum diseasepossible Ratings - R = resistant, MR = moderately resistant, MS =moderately susceptible, S = susceptible and VS = very susceptible.

TABLE 27 Rough, brown and milled grain dimensions and weight of CLL17,CL111, CL153, and Cheniere grown in Crowley, LA. Length Width L/WVariety Type mm mm Ratio Thickness Weight CLL17 Rough 9.01 2.57 3.531.84 22.05 Brown 6.88 2.26 3.05 1.67 19.2 Milled 6.77 2.14 3.18 1.6117.45 CL111 Rough 9.34 2.61 3.58 1.96 26.9 Brown 7.31 2.27 3.22 1.7422.3 Milled 6.85 2.15 3.18 1.68 19.3 CL153 Rough 9.51 2.42 3.92 2.0525.3 Brown 7.26 2.1 3.45 1.81 22.2 Milled 6.95 2.01 3.45 1.7 19.3CHENIERE Rough 9.33 2.36 3.95 1.86 24.0 Brown 7.24 2.16 3.35 1.62 19.49Milled 6.92 2.08 3.33 1.60 18.01

TABLE 28 Average chalk values for CLL17, CL111, CL153, and Cheniere in2017 Table 28A % Chalk Test Reps CLL17 CL111 CL153 CHNR CA-RRS 1 11.59.05 9.49 4.59 CA-ACADIA 1 4.34 8.45 6.43 2.35 2017 Average 2 7.92 8.757.96 3.47

TABLE 28B % Chalky Seeds Test CLL17 CL111 CL153 CHNR CA - RRS 6.5 5.12.8 3.3 CA - ACADIA 2.5 3.9 3.3 0.9 2017 Average 4.5 4.5 3.1 2.1

TABLE 29 Average chalk values for CLL17, CL111, CL153, and Cheniere in2018 Table 29A % Chalk Test Reps CLL17 CL111 CL153 CHNR CA-RRS 2 9.075.16 5.53 4.97 CA- Lake Arthur 2 8.82 8.00 5.26 5.79 CA Average 4 8.956.58 5.40 5.38 URN-RRS 2 8.90 10.5 5.50 4.30 2018 Average 6 8.93 7.895.43 5.02

TABLE 29B % Chalky Seeds Test CLL17 CL111 CL153 CHNR CA - RRS 5.90 2.352.30 3.05 CA - Lake 4.65 5.80 3.20 4.00 Arthur CA 5.28 4.08 2.75 3.53Average URN - 14.7 15.4 10.0 6.40 RRS 2018 8.4 7.9 5.2 4.5 Average

TABLE 30 Average chalk values for CLL17, CL111, CL153, and Cheniere(CHNR) in 2019 Table 30A % Chalk Test Reps CLL17 CL111 CL153 CHNR CA-RRS-South Farm 2 4.75 8.30 4.65 3.10 URN-RRS 2 19.80 14.84 14.47 15.95 Dateof Planting-D1 2 14.20 14.62 12.665 6.045 Date of Planting-D2 2 12.8113.13 7.135 4.195 Date of Planting-D3 2 10.79 11.17 8.12 5.90 Date ofPlanting-D4 2 9.955 10.21 11.26 6.235 Date of Planting-D5 2 15.01 13.147.52 6.30 Date of Planting-D7 2 10.975 14.03 10.655 5.56 DOP Average 1212.29 12.72 9.56 5.71 2019 Grand Average 12.29 12.43 9.56 6.66

TABLE 30B % Chalky Seeds Test CLL17 CL111 CL153 CHNR CA - RRS - South10.335 11.24 9.90 4.32 Farm URN - RRS 11.60 9.90 8.45 12.80 Date ofPlanting- 6.20 10.05 6.40 2.65 D1 Date of Planting- 5.35 6.50 2.95 2.65D2 Date of Planting- 5.30 6.95 3.10 4.95 D3 Date of Planting- 3.20 4.003.55 3.95 D4 Date of Planting- 4.60 6.80 2.30 3.60 D5 Date of Planting-3.55 9.35 6.10 4.50 D7 DOP Average 4.70 7.28 4.07 3.72 2019 Grand 6.278.10 5.34 4.93 Average

TABLE 31 Average grain measurements for CLL17, CL111, CL153 and Chenierein 2017 Length Width L/W TEST VARIETY mm mm Ratio CA - RRS CLL17 6.722.47 2.72 CL111 6.94 2.43 2.86 CL153 6.87 2.35 2.92 Cheniere 6.93 2.402.89 CA - Acadia CLL17 6.63 2.33 2.85 CL111 6.81 2.34 2.91 CL153 6.692.26 2.96 Cheniere 6.63 2.20 3.01

TABLE 32 Average grain measurements for CLL17, CL111, CL153 and Chenierein 2018 Length Width L/W TEST VARIETY mm mm Ratio CA - RRS CLL17 6.542.36 2.77 CL111 6.98 2.25 3.10 CL153 6.68 2.23 3.00 Cheniere 6.79 2.302.96 CA - Lake Arthur CLL17 6.74 2.31 2.92 CL111 6.93 2.22 3.13 CL1536.83 2.24 3.06 Cheniere 6.82 2.24 3.04 URN - RRS CLL17 6.64 2.40 2.73CL111 6.98 2.30 3.03 CL153 6.82 2.30 2.97 Cheniere 6.81 2.30 2.91

TABLE 33 Average grain measurements for CLL17, CL111, CL153 and Chenierein 2019 Length Width L/W TEST VARIETY mm mm Ratio CA - RRS CLL17 6.712.39 2.81 South Farm CL111 7.03 2.30 3.07 CL153 6.80 2.26 3.01 Cheniere6.84 2.31 2.97 URN - RRS CLL17 6.73 2.42 2.79 CL111 7.12 2.31 3.08 CL1536.93 2.27 3.06 Cheniere 6.88 2.35 2.93 Date of Planting CLL17 6.70 2.492.69 Date 1 CL111 7.11 2.36 3.02 CL153 6.88 2.32 2.96 Cheniere 7.07 2.392.96 Date of Planting CLL17 6.78 2.51 2.71 Date 2 CL111 7.12 2.35 3.04CL153 7.05 2.37 2.98 Cheniere 7.15 2.39 3.00 Date of Planting CLL17 6.832.50 2.74 Date 3 CL111 7.17 2.39 3.01 CL153 7.03 2.31 3.04 Cheniere 7.142.37 3.02 Date of Planting CLL17 6.73 2.42 2.79 Date 4 CL111 7.18 2.293.14 CL153 6.80 2.26 3.01 Cheniere 6.96 2.29 3.05 Date of Planting CLL176.58 2.49 2.64 Date 5 CL111 7.07 2.36 3.00 CL153 6.85 2.38 2.88 Cheniere6.86 2.38 2.89 Date of Planting CLL17 6.53 2.39 2.74 Date 7 CL111 6.892.24 3.08 CL153 6.70 2.26 2.97 Cheniere 6.77 2.29 2.96

TABLE 34 YEAR LINE AMYLOSE GEL TEMP 2018 CLL17 21.9 Intermediate

TABLE 35 2019 RRS foundation field yields YIELD LINE lb/A ACRES CLL178,278 10 CL111 7,079 2 CL153 7,776 2 CHENIERE 5,994 7.6

The variety is resistant to imidazolinone herbicides. The herbicideresistance (or herbicide tolerance) profile is essentially the same asthat of ‘CL161’ through common ancestry. The herbicide tolerance allows‘CLL17,’ its hybrids, and derived varieties to be used with certainimidazolinone or sulfonylurea herbicides, including among others theimidazolinone herbicides imazethapyr and imazamox, for the selectivecontrol of weeds including red rice. See generally U.S. Pat. No.6,943,280.

Herbicide tolerance and susceptibility characteristics: The variety istolerant to some herbicides, and susceptible to some herbicides, thatnormally inhibit the growth of rice plants. Among others, the herbicidetolerance and susceptibility characteristics of ‘CLL17’ include or areexpected to include the following. These characteristics are in somecases based on actual observations to date, and in other cases reflectassumptions based on common ancestry with ‘CL161’:

-   -   ‘CLL17’ expresses a mutant acetohydroxyacid synthase whose        enzymatic activity is directly resistant to normally-inhibitory        levels of a herbicidally-effective imidazolinone;    -   ‘CLL17’ is resistant to each of the following imidazolinone        herbicides, at levels of the imidazolinone herbicides that would        normally inhibit the growth of a rice plant: imazethapyr,        imazapic, imazaquin, imazamox, and imazapyr;    -   ‘CLL17’ is resistant to each of the following sulfonylurea        herbicides, at levels of the sulfonylurea herbicides that would        normally inhibit the growth of a rice plant: nicosulfuron,        metsulfuron methyl, thifensulfuron methyl, and tribenuron        methyl;    -   ‘CLL17’ is sensitive to each of the following sulfonylurea        herbicides, at levels of the sulfonylurea herbicides that would        normally inhibit the growth of a rice plant: sulfometuron        methyl, chlorimuron ethyl, and rimsulfuron.

This invention is also directed to methods for producing a rice plant bycrossing a first parent rice plant with a second parent rice plant toproduce an F₁ hybrid, wherein the first or second rice plant (i.e., themale parent or the female parent) is a rice plant from the line ‘CLL17.’The F₁ hybrid displays the herbicide tolerance phenotype of ‘CLL17.’Further, both the first and second parent rice plants may be from thecultivar ‘CLL17.’ Breeding methods that employ the cultivar ‘CLL17’ arealso part of this invention, including crossing, selfing, backcrossing,hybrid breeding, crossing to populations, the other breeding methodsdiscussed in this specification, and other breeding methods otherwiseknown to those of skill in the art. Any plants produced using cultivar‘CLL17’ as a parent or ancestor by any of these breeding methods arewithin the scope of this invention, particularly when those plantsdisplay the herbicide tolerance phenotype of ‘CLL17.’ The other parentsor other lines used in such breeding programs may be any of the widenumber of rice varieties, cultivars, populations, experimental lines,and other sources of rice germplasm known to the art.

For example, this invention includes methods for producing afirst-generation hybrid rice plant by crossing a first parent rice plantwith a second parent rice plant, wherein either the first or secondparent rice plant (i.e., either the male parent or the female parent) is‘CLL17.’ Further, this invention is also directed to methods forproducing a hybrid rice line derived from ‘CLL17’ by crossing ‘CLL17’with a second rice plant, and growing the F₁ progeny seed. The crossingand growing steps may be repeated any number of times. Breeding methodsusing the rice line ‘CLL17’ are considered part of this invention, notonly backcrossing and hybrid production, but also selfmg, crosses topopulations, and other breeding methods known in the art. It ispreferred that, at each step in the breeding process, there should beselection to maintain the herbicide tolerance trait.

Optionally, either of the parents in such a cross, ‘CLL17’ or the otherparent, may be produced in male-sterile form, using techniques otherwiseknown in the art.

In one embodiment, a rice plant produced using cultivar ‘CLL17’ as aparent or ancestor exhibits tolerance to applications of one or moreclasses of herbicides. Classes of herbicides include, but are notlimited to, acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) inhibitors; bleachingherbicides such as hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) inhibitorsor phytoene desaturase (PDS) inhibitors; enolpyruvyl shikimate3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) inhibitors such as glyphosate; glutaminesynthetase (GS) inhibitors such as glufosinate; auxinic herbicides,e.g., dicamba; lipid biosynthesis inhibitors such as ACCase inhibitors;or oxynil (i.e. bromoxynil or ioxynil) herbicides; protoporphyrinogen-IXoxidase (PPO) inhibitors other than saflufenacil (“other PPOinhibitors”) (e.g., acifluorfen, butafenacil, carfentrazone,flufenpyr-ethyl, fomesafen, flumiclorac, flumioxazin, lactofen,oxadiargyl, oxadiazon, oxyfluorfen, sulfentrazone); lipid biosynthesisinhibitors such as acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitors; oxynil(i.e. bromoxynil or ioxynil) herbicides; ACCase-inhibitor(s);saflufenacil(s); p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (4-HPPD)inhibitors; amide(s), e.g., propanil; and the like. AHAS-inhibitorherbicides include, e.g., imidazolinone herbicides, one or moresulfonylurea (SU) herbicides selected from the group consisting ofamidosulfuron, flupyrsulfuron, foramsulfuron, imazosulfuron,iodosulfuron, mesosulfuron, nicosulfuron, thifensulfuron, andtribenuron, agronomically acceptable salts and esters thereof, andcombinations thereof. ACCase inhibitor herbicides include, e.g., “dims”(e.g., cycloxydim, sethoxydim, clethodim, or tepraloxydim), “fops”(e.g., clodinafop, diclofop, fluazifop, haloxyfop, or quizalofop), and“dens” (such as pinoxaden).

In some embodiments rice plants that are produced using cultivar ‘CLL17’as a parent or ancestor may be tolerant to ACCase inhibitors, such asthe “dims” (e.g., cycloxydim, sethoxydim, clethodim; or tepraloxydim),the “fops” (e.g., clodinafop, diclofop, fluazifop, haloxyfop, orquizalofop), and the “dens” (such as pinoxaden); to auxinic herbicides,such as dicamba; to EPSPS inhibitors, such as glyphosate; to other PPOinhibitors; and to GS inhibitors, such as glufosinate.

In addition to these classes of inhibitors, rice plants that areproduced using cultivar ‘CLL17’ as a parent or ancestor may also betolerant to herbicides having other modes of action, for example,chlorophyll/carotenoid pigment inhibitors, cell membrane disruptors,photosynthesis inhibitors, cell division inhibitors, root inhibitors,shoot inhibitors, and combinations thereof.

Such tolerance traits may be expressed, e.g., as mutant acetohydroxyacidsynthase large subunit (AHASL) proteins, mutant ACCase proteins, mutantEPSPS proteins, or mutant glutamine synthetase proteins; or as a mutantnative, inbred, or transgenic aryloxyalkanoate dioxygenase (AAD or DHT),haloarylnitrilase (BXN), 2,2-dichloropropionic acid dehalogenase (DEH),glyphosate-N-acetyltransferase (GAT), glyphosate decarboxylase (GDC),glyphosate oxidoreductase (GOX), glutathione-S-transferase (GST),phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT or bar), or cytochrome P450(CYP450) protein having herbicide-degrading activity.

The rice plants hereof can also optionally be “stacked” with othertraits including, but not limited to, pesticidal traits such as Bt Cryand other proteins having pesticidal activity toward coleopteran,lepidopteran, nematode, or other pests; nutritional or nutraceuticaltraits such as modified oil content or oil profile traits, high proteinor high amino acid concentration traits, and other trait types known inthe art.

Furthermore, in another embodiment, rice plants are generated, e.g. bythe use of recombinant DNA techniques, breeding, or otherwise byselection for desired traits, plants that are able to synthesize one ormore proteins to improve their productivity, oil content, tolerance todrought, salinity or other growth-limiting environmental factors, ortolerance to arthropod, fungal, bacterial, or viral pests or pathogensof rice plants.

Furthermore, in other embodiments, rice plants are generated, e.g. bythe use of recombinant DNA techniques, breeding, or otherwise byselection for desired traits to contain a modified amount of one or moresubstances or to contain one or more new substances, for example, toimprove human or animal nutrition, e.g. health-promoting long-chainomega-3 fatty acids or unsaturated omega-9 fatty acids. (Cf. Nexera®canola, Dow Agro Sciences, Canada).

Furthermore, in some embodiments, rice plants are generated, e.g. by theuse of recombinant DNA techniques, breeding, or otherwise by selectionfor desired traits to contain increased amounts of vitamins, minerals,or improved profiles of nutraceutical compounds.

In one embodiment, rice plants are produced using cultivar ‘CLL17’ as aparent or higher-generation ancestor so that the new rice plants,relative to a wild-type rice plant, comprise an increased amount of, oran improved profile of, a compound selected from the group consistingof: glucosinolates (e.g., glucoraphanin(4-methylsulfinylbutyl-glucosinolate), sulforaphane,3-indolylmethyl-glucosinolate (glucobrassicin), or1-methoxy-3-indolylmethyl-glucosinolate (neoglucobrassicin)); phenolics(e.g., flavonoids (e.g., quercetin, kaempferol), hydroxycinnamoylderivatives (e.g., 1,2,2′-trisinapoylgentiobiose,1,2-diferuloylgentiobiose, 1,2′-disinapoyl-2-feruloylgentiobiose, or3-O-caffeoyl-quinic (neochlorogenic acid)); and vitamins and minerals(e.g., vitamin C, vitamin E, carotene, folic acid, niacin, riboflavin,thiamine, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, selenium, and zinc).

In another embodiment, rice plants are produced using cultivar ‘CLL17’as a parent or higher-generation ancestor so that the new rice plants,relative to a wild-type rice plant, comprise an increased amount of, oran improved profile of, a compound selected from the group consistingof: progoitrin; isothiocyanates; indoles (products of glucosinolatehydrolysis); glutathione; carotenoids such as beta-carotene, lycopene,and the xanthophyll carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin; phenolicscomprising the flavonoids such as the flavonols (e.g. quercetin, rutin),the flavins/tannins (such as the procyanidins comprising coumarin,proanthocyanidins, catechins, and anthocyanins); flavones;phytoestrogens such as coumestans; lignans; resveratrol; isoflavonese.g. genistein, daidzein, and glycitein; resorcyclic acid lactones;organosulfur compounds; phytosterols; terpenoids such as camosol,rosmarinic acid, glycyrrhizin and saponins; chlorophyll; chlorphyllin,sugars, anthocyanins, and vanilla.

Herbicides

Herbicidal compositions that may be used in conjunction with theinvention include herbicidally active ingredients (AI.), and theiragronomically acceptable salts and esters.

The herbicidal compositions can be applied in any agronomicallyacceptable format. For example, they can be formulated as ready-to-sprayaqueous solutions, powders, or suspensions; as concentrated or highlyconcentrated aqueous, oily or other solutions, suspensions ordispersions; as emulsions, oil dispersions, pastes, dusts, granules, orother broadcastable formats. The herbicidal compositions can be appliedby any method known in the art, including, for example, spraying,atomizing, dusting, spreading, watering, seed treatment, or co-plantingin admixture with the seed. The particular formulation used depends onthe intended purpose; in any case, it should ensure a uniform (orapproximately uniform) distribution of the A.I. or A.I.s. A herbicidalcomposition can be selected according to the tolerances of a particularplant, and the plant can be selected from among those having a singletolerance trait, or stacked tolerance traits.

In some embodiments, where the A.I. includes an AHAS inhibitor, the AHASinhibitor may be selected from: (1) the imidazolinones, e.g. imazamox,imazethapyr, imazapyr, imazapic, imazaquin, and imazamethabenz;preferably imazamox, imazethapyr, imazapyr, or imazapic; (2) thesulfonylureas, e.g. amidosulfuron, azimsulfuron, bensulfuron,cinosulfuron, ethoxysulfuron, flupyrsulfuron, foramsulfuron,imazosulfuron, iodosulfuron, mesosulfuron, metsulfuron, nicosulfuron,thifensulfuron, and tribenuron; (3) the pyrimidinyloxy [thio]benzoates,e.g. including the pyrimidinyloxybenzoates (e.g., bispyribac,pyriminobac, and pyribenzoxim) and the pyrimidinylthiobenzoates (e.g.,pyrithiobac and pyriftalid); and (4) the sulfonamides, e.g. includingthe sulfonylaminocarbonyltriazolinones (e.g., flucarbazone andpropoxycarbazone) and the triazolopyrimidines (e.g., cloransulam,diclosulam, florasulam, flumetsulam, metosulam, and penoxsulam). Theagronomically acceptable salts and esters of the foregoing are alsoincluded, as are combinations thereof.

In embodiments in which the A.I. includes an ACCase inhibitor, theACCase inhibitor may for example be selected from:aryloxyphenoxypropionate (FOP) herbicides, cyclohexanedione (DIM)herbicides, and phenylpyrazoline (DEN) herbicides, and theiragronomically acceptable salts and esters. Examples include: the DIMs,e.g., cycloxydim, sethoxydim, clethodim, or tepraloxydim; the FOPs,e.g., clodinafop, diclofop, fluazifop, haloxyfop, or quizalofop; and theDENs, e.g., pinoxaden, Preferred esters of quizalofop or quizalofop-Pinclude the ethyl and tefuryl esters; and preferred esters of haloxyfopor haloxyfop-P include the methyl and etotyl esters.

The agronomically acceptable salts and esters of the foregoing are alsoincluded, as are combinations thereof.

Examples of herbicides that are AC Case inhibitors include, but are notlimited to, cyclohexanedione herbicides (DIMs, also referred to as:cyclohexene oxime cyclohexanedione oxime; and CHD), aryloxyphenoxypropionate herbicides (also referred to as aryloxyphenoxy propanoate;aryloxyphenoxyalkanoate; oxyphenoxy; APP; AOPP; APA; APPA; FOP), andphenylpyrazole herbicides (also known as DENs; and sometimes referred tounder the more general class of phenylpyrazoles such as pinoxaden (e.g.,herbicides sold under the trade names Axial and Traxos)). In somemethods of controlling weeds or growing herbicide-tolerant plants, atleast one herbicide is selected from the group consisting of sethoxydim,cycloxydim, tepraloxydim, haloxyfop, haloxyfop-P or a derivative of oneof these herbicides. Table C lists examples of herbicides that interferewith ACCase activity.

TABLE C Examples of ACCase inhibitors. Examples of Synonyms ACCaseInhibitor Class Company and Trade Names alloxydim DIM BASF Fervin,Kusagard, NP-48Na, BAS 9021H, Carbodimedon, Zizalon butroxydim DIMSyngenta Falcon, ICI-A0500, Butroxydim clethodim DIM Valent Select,Prism, Centurion, RE-45601, Motsa Clodinafop- FOP Syngenta Discover,Topik, CGA 184 927 propargyl clofop FOP Fenofibric Acid, Alopexcloproxydim FOP chlorazifop FOP cycloxydim DIM BASF Focus, Laser,Stratos, BAS 517H cyhalofop-butyl FOP Dow Clincher, XDE 537, DEH 112,Barnstorm diclofop-methyl FOP Bayer Hoegrass, Hoelon, Illoxan, HOE23408, Dichlorfop, Illoxan fenoxaprop-P-ethyl FOP Bayer Super Whip,Option Super, Exel Super, HOE-46360, Aclaim, Puma S, Fusion fenthiapropFOP Taifun; Joker fluazifop-P-butyl FOP Syngenta Fusilade, Fusilade2000, Fusilade DX, ICI-A 0009, ICI-A 0005, SL-236, IH-773B, TF-1169,Fusion haloxyfop-etotyl FOP Dow Gallant, DOWCO 453EE haloxyfop-methylFOP Dow Verdict, DOWCO 453ME haloxyfop-P-methyl FOP Dow Edge, DE 535isoxapyrifop FOP Metamifop FOP Dongbu NA pinoxaden DEN Syngenta Axialprofoxydim DIM BASF Aura, Tetris, BAS 625H, Clefoxydim propaquizafop FOPSyngenta Agil, Shogun, Ro 17-3664, Correct quizalofop-P-ethyl FOP DuPontAssure, Assure II, DPX-Y6202-3, Targa Super, NC-302, Quizafopquizalofop-P-tefuryl FOP Uniroyal Pantera, UBI C4874 sethoxydim DIM BASFPoast, Poast Plus, NABU, Fervinal, NP-55, Sertin, BAS 562H, Cyethoxydim,Rezult tepraloxydim DIM BASF BAS 620H, Aramo, Caloxydim tralkoxydim DIMSyngenta Achieve, Splendor, ICI-A0604, Tralkoxydime, Tralkoxidym trifopFOP

Examples of herbicides that are auxinic herbicides include, but are notlimited to, those shown in Table D.

TABLE D Examples of Auxinic herbicides. Classification of AuxinicHerbicides (HRAC Group ‘O’; WSSA Group ‘4’) Subgroup Member CompoundPhenoxy- Clomeprop carboxylic- cloprop (″3-CPA″) acid Subgroup4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (″4-CPA″) 2-(4-chlorophenoxy)propionic acid(″4-CPP″) 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (″2,4-D″)(3,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid (″3,4-DA″)4-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)butyric acid (″2,4-DB″)2-(3,4-dichlorophenoxy)propionic acid (″3,4-DP″)tris[2-(2_(,)4-dichlorophenoxy)ethyl]phosphite (″2,4-DEP″) dichlorprop(″2,4-DP″) 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (″2,4,5-T″) fenoprop(″2,4,5-TP″) 2-(4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy)acetic acid (″MCPA″)4-(4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy)butyric acid (″MCPB″) mecoprop (″MCPP″)Benzoic acid Chloramben Subgroup Dicamba Tricamba 2,3,6-trichlorobenzoicacid (″TBA″) Pyridine Aminopyralid carboxylic Clopyralid acid SubgroupFluroxypyr Picloram Triclopyr Quinoline Quinclorac carboxylic Quinmeracacid Subgroup Other Benazolin Subgroup

Optional A.I.s of other types include, but are not limited toagronomically-acceptable fungicides such as strobilurins, e.g.,pyraclostrobin, alone or in combination with, e.g., boscalid,epiconazole, metaconazole, tebuconazole, kresoxim-methyl, and the like;insecticides, nematicides, lepidoptericides, coleoptericides, ormolluscicides (e.g., malathion, pyrethrins/pyrethrum, carbaryl,spinosad, permethrin, bifenthrin, and esfenvalerate).

In one embodiment, a saflufenacil A.I. is, e.g.:2-chloro-5-[3,6-dihydro-3-methyl-2,6-dioxo-4-(trifluoromethyl)-1-(21-1)-pyrimidinyl]-4-fluoro-N-[[methyl(1-methylethyl)amino] sulfonyl]benzamide (CAS:N′-{2-chloro-4-fluoro-5-[1,2,3,6-tetrahydro-3-methyl-2,6-dioxo-4-(trifluoromethyl)pyrimidin-1-yl] benzoyl}-N-isopropyl-N-methylsulfami de; Reg. No.: 372137-35-4); BAS-H800).

As used herein, unless context clearly indicates others, a reference toa named compound, (e.g., “saflufenacil”) should be understood to includenot only the specified compound itself, but also the compound's varioussalts and esters.

The herbicidal compositions can also comprise auxiliary ingredients thatare customary for the formulation of crop protection agents. Examples ofauxiliaries customary for the formulation of crop protection agentsinclude inert auxiliaries, solid carriers, surfactants (such asdispersants, protective colloids, emulsifiers, wetting agents, andtackifiers), organic and inorganic thickeners, penetrants (such aspenetration-enhancing organosilicone surfactants or acidic sulfatechelates, e.g., CT-301TM available from Cheltec, Inc.), safeners,bactericides, antifreeze agents, antifoams, colorants, and adhesives.Formulations of the herbicide compositions useful herein can be preparedaccording to any method useful for that purpose in the art.

Examples of thickeners (i.e. compounds that modify flow properties, e.g.high viscosity in a state of rest and low viscosity in motion) includepolysaccharides, such as xanthan gum (Kelzan® from Kelco), Rhodopol® 23(Rhone Poulenc) or Veegum® (from R. T. Vanderbilt), and also variousorganic and inorganic sheet minerals, such as Attaclay® (fromEngelhard).

Examples of antifoaming agents include silicone emulsions (for example,Silikon® SRE, Wacker or Rhodorsil® from Rhodia), long-chain alcohols,fatty acids, salts of fatty acids, organofluorine compounds, andmixtures thereof.

Bactericides can optionally be added for stabilizing the aqueousherbicidal formulations. Examples include bactericides based ondiclorophen and benzyl alcohol hemiformal (Proxel® from ICI, Acticide®RS from Thor Chemie, or Kathon® MK from Rohm & Haas), or isothiazolinonederivatives, such as alkylisothiazolinones and benzisothiazolinones(Acticide MBS from Thor Chemie).

Examples of antifreeze agents include ethylene glycol, propylene glycol,urea, and glycerol.

Examples of colorants include members of colorant classes such as thesparingly water-soluble pigments and the water-soluble dyes. Someexamples include the dyes known under the names Rhodamin B, C.I. PigmentRed 112, C.I. Solvent Red 1, pigment blue 15:4, pigment blue 15:3,pigment blue 15:2, pigment blue 15:1, pigment blue 80, pigment yellow 1,pigment yellow 13, pigment red 112, pigment red 48:2, pigment red 48:1,pigment red 57:1, pigment red 53:1, pigment orange 43, pigment orange34, pigment orange 5, pigment green 36, pigment green 7, pigment white6, pigment brown 25, basic violet 10, basic violet 49, acid red 51, acidred 52, acid red 14, acid blue 9, acid yellow 23, basic red 10, andbasic red 108.

Examples of adhesives include polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinyl acetate,polyvinyl alcohol, and tylose.

Suitable inert auxiliaries include, for example, the following: mineraloil fractions of medium to high boiling point, such as kerosene anddiesel oil; coal tar oils; oils of vegetable or animal origin;aliphatic, cyclic and aromatic hydrocarbons, for example paraffins,tetrahydronaphthalene, alkylated naphthalenes and their derivatives, andalkylated benzenes and their derivatives; alcohols such as methanol,ethanol, propanol, butanol and cyclohexanol; ketones such ascyclohexanone; strongly polar solvents, for example amines such asN-methylpyrrolidone; and water; as well as mixtures thereof.

Suitable carriers include liquid and solid carriers.

Liquid carriers include e.g. non-aqueous solvents such as cyclic andaromatic hydrocarbons, e.g. paraffins, tetrahydronaphthalene, alkylatednaphthalenes and their derivatives, and alkylated benzenes and theirderivatives; alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol andcyclohexanol; ketones such as cyclohexanone; strongly polar solvents,e.g. amines such as N-methylpyrrolidone; and water; as well as mixturesthereof.

Solid carriers include e.g. mineral earths such as silicas, silica gels,silicates, talc, kaolin, limestone, lime, chalk, bole; loess, clay,dolomite, diatomaceous earth, calcium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, andmagnesium oxide; ground synthetic materials; fertilizers such asammonium sulfate, ammonium phosphate, ammonium nitrate; and ureas; andproducts of vegetable origin, such as cereal meal, tree bark meal, woodmeal, nutshell meal, and cellulose powders; and mixtures thereof.

Suitable surfactants (e.g., adjuvants, wetting agents, tackifiers,dispersants, or emulsifiers) include the alkali metal salts, alkalineearth metal salts, and ammonium salts of aromatic sulfonic acids, forexample lignosulfonic acids (e.g. Borrespers-types, Borregaard),phenolsulfonic acids, naphthalenesulfonic acids (Morwet types, AkzoNobel) and dibutylnaphthalenesulfonic acid (Nekal types, BASF AG); andsalts of fatty acids, alkyl- and alkylarylsulfonates, alkyl sulfates,lauryl ether sulfates and fatty alcohol sulfates; and salts of sulfatedhexa-, hepta- and octadecanols; fatty alcohol glycol ethers, condensatesof sulfonated naphthalene and its derivatives with formaldehyde,condensates of naphthalene or of the naphthalenesulfonic acids withphenol and formaldehyde, polyoxyethylene octylphenol ether, ethoxylatedisooctyl-, octyl- or nonylphenol, alkylphenyl or tributylphenylpolyglycol ether, alkylaryl polyether alcohols, isotridecyl alcohol,fatty alcohol/ethylene oxide condensates, ethoxylated castor oil,polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers or polyoxypropylene alkyl ethers, laurylalcohol polyglycol ether acetate, sorbitol esters; lignosulfite wasteliquors; and proteins, denatured proteins, polysaccharides (e.g.methylcellulose), hydrophobically modified starches, polyvinyl alcohol(Mowiol types, Clariant), polycarboxylates (BASF AG, Sokalan types),polyalkoxylates, polyvinylamine (BASF AG, Lupamine types),polyethyleneimine (BASF AG, Lupasol types), polyvinylpyrrolidone, andcopolymers thereof; and mixtures thereof.

Powders, materials for broadcasting and dusts can be prepared by mixingor concomitant grinding of the A.I.s together with a solid carrier.

Granules, for example coated granules, impregnated granules andhomogeneous granules, can be prepared by binding the A.I.s to solidcarriers.

Aqueous-use forms can be prepared from emulsion concentrates,suspensions, pastes, wettable powders or water-dispersible granules byadding water.

To prepare emulsions, pastes, or oil dispersions, the herbicidalcompositions can be homogenized in water by means of a wetting agent,tackifier, dispersant or emulsifier. Alternatively, it is also possibleto prepare concentrates comprising active compound, wetting agent,tackifier, dispersant or emulsifier and, if desired, solvent or oil,preferably suitable for dilution or dispersion with water.

The concentration of the herbicide(s) present in the herbicidalcomposition can be varied within wide ranges. In general, theformulations comprise approximately from 0.001% to 98% by weight,preferably 0.01 to 95% by weight of at least one active ingredient. Insome embodiments, the A.I.s are employed in a purity of from 90% to100%, preferably 95% to 100% (as measured, e.g., by NMR or IR spectra).

In some formulations, the herbicides are suspended, emulsified, ordissolved. The formulations may be in the form of aqueous solutions,powders, suspensions, or highly-concentrated aqueous, oily or othersuspensions or dispersions, aqueous emulsions, aqueous microemulsions,aqueous suspo-emulsions, oil dispersions, pastes, dusts, materials forspreading, or granules.

Herbicides or herbicidal compositions can be applied pre-emergence,post-emergence, or pre-planting, or together with the seed. It is alsopossible to apply the herbicidal composition or active compounds byplanting seed pretreated with the herbicidal compositions or activecompounds.

In a further embodiment, the herbicides or herbicidal compositions canbe applied by treating seed. The treatment of seeds comprises any of theprocedures known in the art (e.g., seed dressing, seed coating, seeddusting, seed soaking, seed film coating, seed multilayer coating, seedencrusting, seed dripping, and seed pelleting). The herbicidalcompositions can be applied diluted or undiluted.

It may be beneficial in some embodiments to apply the herbicides aloneor in combination with other herbicides, or in the form of a mixturewith other crop protection agents, for example together with agents forcontrolling pests or phytopathogenic fungi or bacteria. Also of interestis miscibility with mineral salt solutions, which are employed fortreating nutritional and trace element deficiencies. Other additivessuch as non-phytotoxic oils and oil concentrates can also be added.

Moreover, it may be useful to apply the herbicides in combination withsafeners. Safeners are compounds that prevent or reduceherbicide-induced injury to useful plants without having a major effecton the intended herbicidal action of the herbicides. They can be appliedeither before sowing (e.g. on seed treatments, shoots or seedlings) orin the pre-emergence application or post-emergence application of thecrop plant. The safeners and the herbicides can be appliedsimultaneously or in succession.

Safeners include e.g. (quinolin-8-oxy)acetic acids, 1-phenyl-5-hal °alkyl-1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-carboxylic acids,1-phenyl-4,5-dihydro-5-alkyl-1H-pyrazol-3,5-dicarboxylic acids,4,5-dihydro-5,5-di aryl-3 s oxazol carboxylic acids, di chloroacetamides, alpha-oximinophenylacetonitriles, acetophenonoximes,4,6-dihalo-2-phenylpyrimidines,N-[[4-(aminocarbonyl)phenyl]sulfonyl]-2-benzoic amides, 1,8-naphthalicanhydride, 2-halo-4-(haloalkyl)-5-thiazol carboxylic acids, benoxacor,cloquintocet, cyometrinil, cyprosulfamide, dichlormid, dicyclonon,dietholate, fenchlorazole, fenclorim, flurazole, fluxofenim, furilazole,isoxadifen, mefenpyr, mephenate, naphthalic anhydride, oxabetrinil,4-(dichloroacetyl)-1-oxa-4-azaspiro [4.5]decane (MON4660, CAS71526-07-3) and 2,2,5-trimethyl-3-(dichl oro acetyl)-1,3-oxazolidine(R-29148, CAS 52836-31-4), phosphorthiolates, andN-alkyl-O-phenyl-carbamates and their agriculturally-acceptable saltsand their agriculturally-acceptable derivatives such amides, esters, andthioesters.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that some compounds used asherbicides, safeners, etc. are capable of forming geometric isomers, forexample E/Z isomers, enantiomers, diastereomers, or other stereoisomers.In general, it is possible to use either pure isomers or mixtures ofisomers. For example, some of the aryloxyphenoxy propionate herbicidesare chiral, and some of them are commonly used in enantiomericallyenriched or enantiopure form, e.g. clodinafop, cyhalofop, fenoxaprop-P,fluazifop-P, haloxyfop-P, metamifop, propaquizafop or quizalofop-P. As afurther example, glufosinate may be used in enantiomerically enriched orenantiopure form, also known as glufosinate-P. Alternatively, thecompounds may be used in racemic mixtures or other mixtures of geometricisomers.

Controlling Weeds

Rice plants of the invention can be used in conjunction withherbicide(s) to which they are tolerant. Herbicides can be applied tothe rice plants of the invention using any techniques known to thoseskilled in the art. Herbicides can be applied at any point in the riceplant cultivation process. For example, herbicides can be appliedpre-planting, at planting, pre-emergence, post-emergence or combinationsthereof. Herbicides may be applied to seeds and dried to form a layer onthe seeds.

In some embodiments, seeds are treated with a safener, followed by apost-emergence application of herbicide(s). In one embodiment, thepost-emergence application of herbicide(s) occurs about 7 to 10 daysfollowing planting of safener-treated seeds. In some embodiments, thesafener is cloquintocet, dichlormid, fluxofenim, or combinationsthereof.

In other aspects, the present invention provides a method forcontrolling weeds at a locus for growth of a rice plant or plant partthereof, the method comprising applying a composition comprisingherbicide(s) to the locus.

In some aspects, the present invention provides a method for controllingweeds at a locus for growth of a plant, the method comprising applying aherbicide composition to the locus; wherein said locus is: (a) a locusthat contains a rice plant or seed capable of producing a rice plant; or(b) a locus that will contain the rice plant or the seed after theherbicide composition is applied.

Following are non-limiting examples of various rice culturing methods,including the application of herbicide(s).

In the post-flood, post-emergence (transplanted) method, rice is grownto about the 2-4 leaf stage away from the field. The field is floodedand tilled (puddled) until a blend of mud is achieved. The rice plantsare then transplanted into the mud. Herbicide application typicallytakes place before or after flooding.

In the post-flood, post-emergence (water-seeded) method, rice is soakedfor about 24 hours or more, and then is sown into the surface of ashallow flooded field. Herbicide application is typically made afterweed germination.

In the pre-flood, post-emergence, direct-seeded (broadcast or drilled)method, rice is broadcast or planted with a planter under the soilsurface. The field may be flushed (watered) to promote rice growth. Thefield is flooded about a week or more after planting as the plantsgerminate. Herbicide application takes place typically before the flood,but after emergence of the rice plants.

In the pre-flood, post-emergence (Southeast Asia style) method, rice issoaked for about 24 hours or more. The field is puddled to the rightconsistency and drained. The pre-germinated seeds are then broadcast tothe surface of the soil. Flooding takes place as the rice develops.Herbicide application normally takes place before the flooding, butafter the emergence of the rice plants.

In the pre-emergence or delayed pre-emergence method, seeds are planted,usually with a planter. Herbicide is applied before emergence of therice or weeds.

Herbicide compositions can be applied, e.g., as foliar treatments, soiltreatments, seed treatments, or soil drenches. Application can be made,e.g., by spraying, dusting, broadcasting, or any other mode known in theart.

In one embodiment, herbicides can be used to control the growth of weedsin the vicinity of the rice plants of the invention. A herbicide towhich the rice plant of the invention is tolerant can be applied to theplot at a concentration sufficient to kill or inhibit the growth ofweeds. Concentrations of herbicide sufficient to kill or inhibit thegrowth of weeds are known in the art for typical circumstances, andgenerally depend on the particulars of the herbicide, the weeds beingcontrolled, the weather, the soil type, the degree of maturity of theweeds, and the like.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method forcontrolling weeds in the vicinity of rice plants. The method comprisesapplying an effective amount of herbicide(s) to the weeds and to therice plant, wherein the rice plant has increased tolerance to theherbicide(s) when compared to a wild-type rice plant. An “effectiveamount” of herbicide is an amount that is sufficient to kill or inhibitthe growth of particular weeds. What constitutes an “effective amount”depends on the particulars of the herbicide, the weeds being controlled,the weather, the soil type, the degree of maturity of the weeds, and thelike; such “effective amounts” for typical circumstances are well knownin the art.

In another aspect, herbicide(s) can be used as a seed treatment. In someembodiments, an effective concentration or an effective amount ofherbicide(s), or a composition comprising an effective concentration oran effective amount of herbicide(s) can be applied directly to the seedsprior to or during the sowing of the seeds. Seed treatment formulationsmay additionally comprise binders, and optionally colorants as well.

Binders can be added to improve the adhesion of the active materialsonto the seeds after treatment. Suitable binders include, e.g., blockcopolymers, EO/PO surfactants, polyvinylalcohols, polyvinylpyrrolidones,polyacrylates, polymethacrylates, polybutenes, polyisobutylenes,polystyrene, polyethyleneamines, polyethyleneamides, polyethyleneimines(e.g., Lupasol®, Polymin®), polyethers, polyurethanes, polyvinylacetate,tylose, and copolymers derived from these polymers.

The term “seed treatment” includes all suitable seed treatmenttechniques known in the art, including seed dressing, seed coating, seeddusting, seed soaking, and seed pelleting. Alternatively, or inaddition, soil may be treated by applying a formulation containing theherbicide (e.g., a granular formulation), for example with a seed drill,with optionally one or more solid or liquid, agriculturally acceptablecarriers, and optionally with one or more agriculturally acceptablesurfactants.

The present invention also comprises seeds coated with or containing aseed treatment formulation comprising herbicide(s) or other compounds.The term “coated with or containing” generally signifies that the activeingredient is for the most part on the surface of the seed at the timeof application, although a greater or lesser part of the ingredient maypenetrate into the seed, depending on the method of application. Whenthe seed is planted, it may absorb the active ingredient.

In some embodiments, the seed treatment with herbicide(s) or with aformulation comprising the herbicide(s) is applied by spraying ordusting the seeds, or otherwise treating the seeds, before the seeds aresown. Alternatively, the seed treatment can comprise any one or more ofthe agriculturally acceptable herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, ornematicides, or combination thereof.

In other aspects, the present invention provides a method for combatingundesired vegetation or controlling weeds, comprising contacting seedsof the rice plants with herbicide(s) before sowing, or afterpre-germination, or both. The method can further comprise sowing theseeds, for example, in soil in a field or in a potting medium in agreenhouse. The method finds particular use in combating undesiredvegetation or controlling weeds in the immediate vicinity of the seed.The control of undesired vegetation is understood as the killing ofweeds, or otherwise retarding or inhibiting the normal growth of weeds.“Weeds,” in the broadest sense, should be understood as including allplants that grow in locations where they are undesired.

The weeds that may be treated include, for example, dicotyledonous andmonocotyledonous weeds. Monocotyledonous weeds include, but are notlimited to, weeds of the genera: Echinochloa, Setaria, Panicum,Digitaria, Phleum, Poa, Festuca, Eleusine, Brachiaria, Lolium, Bromus,Avena, Oryza, Cyperus, Sorghum, Agropyron, Cynodon, Monochoria,Fimbristyslis, Sagittaria, Eleocharis, Scirpus, Paspalum, Ischaemum,Sphenoclea, Dactyloctenium, Agrostis, Alopecurus, Burgessia, and Apera.Dicotyledonous weeds include, but are not limited to, weeds of thegenera: Sinapis, Lepidium, Galium. Stellaria, Matricaria, Anthemis,Galinsoga, Chenopodium, Urtica, Senecio, Amaranthus, Portulaca,Xanthium, Convolvulus, Ipomoea, Polygonum, Sesbania, Ambrosia, Cirsium,Carduus, Sonchus, Solanum, Rorippa, Rotala, Lindernia, Lamium, Veronica,Abutilon, Emex, Datura, Viola, Galeopsis, Papaver, Centaurea, Trifolium,Ranunculus, Aysheaia, and Taraxacum.

Examples of red/weedy rice include, but are not limited to, Oryzalongistaminata, Oryza sativa L. var. sylvatica, Oryza latifolia, Oryzabarthii A. Chev, Oryza punctata, and Oryza rufipogon.

Examples of Echinochloa spp. include, but are not limited to,Echinochloa colona, Echinochloa crusgalli, and Echinochloa oryzicola.

In addition, the weeds treated with the present invention can include,for example, crop plants that are growing in an undesired location.

In still further aspects, loci, plants, plant parts, or seeds aretreated with an agronomically acceptable composition that does notcontain an A.I. For example, the treatment may comprise one or moreagronomically-acceptable carriers, diluents, excipients, plant growthregulators, and the like; or an adjuvant, such as a surfactant, aspreader, a sticker, a penetrant, a drift-control agent, a crop oil, anemulsifier, a compatibility agent, or combinations thereof.

In other aspects, the present invention provides a product prepared fromthe rice plants of the invention, for example, brown rice (e.g., cargorice), broken rice (e.g., chits, brewer's rice), polished rice (e.g.,milled rice), rice hulls (e.g., husks, chaff), rice bran, rice pollards,rice mill feed, rice flour, rice oil, oiled rice bran, de-oiled ricebran, arrak, rice wine, poultry litter, and animal feed.

Further Embodiments of the Invention

As used herein, the term “plant” includes plant cells, plantprotoplasts, plant cells of tissue culture from which rice plants can beregenerated, plant calli, plant clumps, and plant cells that are intactin plants or parts of plants, such as pollen, flowers, embryos, ovules,seeds, pods, leaves, stems, roots, anthers and the like. Thus, anotheraspect of this invention is to provide for cells that, upon growth anddifferentiation, produce a cultivar having essentially all of thephysiological and morphological characteristics of ‘CLL17.’

Techniques for transforming with and expressing desired structural genesand cultured cells are known in the art. Also, as known in the art, ricemay be transformed and regenerated such that whole plants containing andexpressing desired genes under regulatory control are obtained. Generaldescriptions of plant expression vectors and reporter genes andtransformation protocols can be found, for example, in Gruber et al.,“Vectors for Plant Transformation, in Methods in Plant Molecular Biology& Biotechnology” in Glich et al. (Eds. pp. 89-119, CRC Press, 1993). Forexample, expression vectors and gene cassettes with the GUS reporter areavailable from Clone Tech Laboratories, Inc. (Palo Alto, Calif.), andexpression vectors and gene cassettes with luciferase reporter areavailable from Promega Corp. (Madison, Wis.). General methods ofculturing plant tissues are provided, for example, by Maki et al.,“Procedures for Introducing Foreign DNA into Plants” in Methods in PlantMolecular Biology & Biotechnology, Glich et al., (Eds. pp. 67-88 CRCPress, 1993); by Phillips et al., “Cell-Tissue Culture and In-VitroManipulation” in Corn & Corn Improvement, 3rd Edition; and by Sprague etal., (Eds. pp. 345-387) American Society of Agronomy Inc., 1988. Methodsof introducing expression vectors into plant tissue include the directinfection or co-cultivation of plant cells with Agrobacteriumtumefaciens, Horsch et al., Science, 227:1229 (1985). Descriptions ofAgrobacterium vectors systems and methods for Agrobacterium-mediatedgene transfer are provided by Gruber et al., supra.

Useful methods include but are not limited to expression vectorsintroduced into plant tissues using a direct gene transfer method suchas microprojectile-mediated delivery, DNA injection, electroporation andthe like. More preferably expression vectors are introduced into planttissues using the microprojectile media delivery with biolistic device-or Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Transformed plants obtainedwith the germplasm of ‘CLL17’ are intended to be within the scope ofthis invention.

The present invention also provides rice plants regenerated from atissue culture of the ‘CLL17’ variety or hybrid plant. As is known inthe art, tissue culture can be used for the in vitro regeneration of arice plant. For example, see Chu, Q. R. et al. (1999) “Use of bridgingparents with high anther culturability to improve plant regeneration andbreeding value in rice,” Rice Biotechnology Quarterly, 38:25-26; Chu, Q.R. et al., “A novel plant regeneration medium for rice anther culture ofSouthern U.S. crosses,” Rice Biotechnology Quarterly, 35:15-16 (1998);Chu, Q. R. et al., “A novel basal medium for embryogenic callusinduction of Southern US crosses,” Rice Biotechnology Quarterly,32:19-20 (1997); and Oono, K., “Broadening the Genetic Variability ByTissue Culture Methods,” Jap. J Breed., 33 (Supp. 2), 306-307 (1983).Thus, another aspect of this invention is to provide cells that, upongrowth and differentiation, produce rice plants having all, oressentially all, of the physiological and morphological characteristicsof variety ‘CLL17.’

Unless context clearly indicates otherwise, references in thespecification and claims to ‘CLL17’ should be understood also to includesingle gene conversions of ‘CLL17’ with a gene encoding a trait such as,for example, male sterility, other sources of herbicide resistance,resistance for bacterial, fungal, or viral disease, insect resistance,male fertility, enhanced nutritional quality, industrial usage, yieldstability and yield enhancement.

Duncan et al., Planta, 165:322-332 (1985) reflects that 97% of theplants cultured that produced callus were capable of plant regeneration.Subsequent experiments with both inbreds and hybrids produced 91%regenerable callus that produced plants. In a further study, Songstad etal., Plant Cell Reports, 7:262-265 (1988) reported several mediaadditions that enhanced regenerability of callus of two inbred lines.Other published reports also indicate that “nontraditional” tissues arecapable of producing somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration. K. P.Rao et al., Maize Genetics Cooperation Newsletter, 60:64-65 (1986),refers to somatic embryogenesis from glume callus cultures and B. V.Conger et al., Plant Cell Reports, 6:345-347 (1987) reported somaticembryogenesis from the tissue cultures of corn leaf segments. Thesemethods of obtaining plants are routinely used with a high rate ofsuccess.

Tissue culture of corn (maize) is described in European PatentApplication No. 160,390. Corn tissue culture procedures, which may beadapted for use with rice, are also described in Green et al., “PlantRegeneration in Tissue Culture of Maize,” Maize for Biological Research(Plant Molecular Biology Association, Charlottesville, Va., pp. 367-372,1982) and in Duncan et al., “The Production of Callus Capable of PlantRegeneration from Immature Embryos of Numerous Zea Mays Genotypes,” 165Planta, 322:332 (1985). Thus, another aspect of this invention is toprovide cells that, upon growth and differentiation, produce rice plantshaving all, or essentially all, of the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of hybrid rice line ‘CLL17.’ See T. P. Croughan et al.,(Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1991) Rice (Oryza sativa. L): Establishment ofCallus Culture and the regeneration of Plants, in Biotechnology inAgriculture and Forestry (19-37).

With the advent of molecular biological techniques that allow theisolation and characterization of genes that encode specific proteinproducts, it is now possible to routinely engineer plant genomes toincorporate and express foreign genes, or additional or modifiedversions of native, or endogenous, genes (perhaps driven by differentpromoters) in order to alter the traits of a plant in a specific manner.Such foreign, additional, and modified genes are herein referred tocollectively as “transgenes.” In recent years, several methods forproducing transgenic plants have been developed, and the presentinvention, in particular embodiments, also relates to transformedversions of ‘CLL17.’

An expression vector is constructed that will function in plant cells.Such a vector comprises a DNA coding sequence that is under the controlof or is operatively linked to a regulatory element (e.g., a promoter).The expression vector may contain one or more such operably linkedcoding sequence/regulatory element combinations. The vector(s) may be inthe form of a plasmid or virus, and can be used alone or in combinationwith other plasmids or viruses to provide transformed rice plants.

Expression Vectors

Expression vectors commonly include at least one genetic “marker,”operably linked to a regulatory element (e.g., a promoter) that allowstransformed cells containing the marker to be either recovered bynegative selection, i.e., inhibiting growth of cells that do not containthe selectable marker gene, or by positive selection, i.e., screeningfor the product encoded by the genetic marker. Many commonly usedselectable marker genes for plant transformation are known in the art,and include, for example, genes that code for enzymes that metabolicallydetoxify a selective chemical inhibitor such as an antibiotic or aherbicide, or genes that encode an altered target that is insensitive tosuch an inhibitor. Positive selection methods are also known in the art.

For example, a commonly used selectable marker gene for planttransformation is that for neomycin phosphotransferase II (nptll),isolated from transposon Tn5, whose expression confers resistance tokanamycin. See Fraley et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 80:4803(1983). Another commonly used selectable marker gene is the hygromycinphosphotransferase gene, which confers resistance to the antibiotichygromycin. See Vanden Elzen et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 5:299 (1985).

Additional selectable marker genes of bacterial origin that conferresistance to one or more antibiotics include gentamycin acetyltransferase, streptomycin phosphotransferase, aminoglycoside-3′-adenyltransferase, and the bleomycin resistance determinant. Hayford et al.,Plant Physiol., 86:1216 (1988), Jones et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 210:86(1987), Svab et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 14:197 (1990); Plant Mol. Biol.,7:171 (1986). Other selectable marker genes confer resistance toherbicides such as glyphosate, glufosinate, or broxynil. Comai et al.,Nature, 317:741-744 (1985); Gordon-Kamm et al., Plant Cell, 2:603-618(1990); and Stalker et al., Science, 242:419-423 (1988).

Selectable marker genes for plant transformation of non-bacterial origininclude, for example, mouse dihydrofolate reductase, plant5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase, and plant acetolactatesynthase. Eichholtz et al., Somatic Cell Mol. Genet. 13:67 (1987); Shahet al., Science, 233:478 (1986); and Charest et al., Plant Cell Rep.,8:643 (1990).

Another class of marker genes for plant transformation employs screeningof presumptively transformed plant cells, rather than selection forresistance to a toxic substance such as an antibiotic. These markergenes are particularly useful to quantify or visualize the spatialpattern of expression of a gene in specific tissues, and are frequentlyreferred to as reporter genes because they may be fused to the targetgene or regulatory sequence. Commonly used reporter genes includeglucuronidase (GUS), galactosidase, luciferase, chloramphenicol, andacetyltransferase. See Jefferson, R. A., Plant Mol. Biol. Rep., 5:387(1987); Teen et al., EMBO J., 8:343 (1989); Koncz et al., Proc. Natl.Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 84:131 (1987); and DeBlock et al., EMBO J., 3:1681(1984). Another approach to identifying relatively rare transformationevents has been the use of a gene that encodes a dominant constitutiveregulator of the Zea mays anthocyanin pigmentation pathway. Ludwig etal., Science, 247:449 (1990).

The Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) gene has been used as a marker forgene expression in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. See Chalfie et al.,Science, 263:802 (1994). GFP and mutants of GFP may be used asscreenable markers.

Genes included in expression vectors are driven by a nucleotide sequencecomprising a regulatory element, for example, a promoter. Many suitablepromoters are known in the art, as are other regulatory elements thatmay be used either alone or in combination with promoters.

As used herein, “promoter” refers to a region of DNA upstream ordownstream from the transcription initiation site, a region that isinvolved in recognition and binding of RNA polymerase and other proteinsto initiate transcription. A “plant promoter” is a promoter capable ofinitiating transcription in plant cells. Examples of promoters underdevelopmental control include promoters that preferentially initiatetranscription in certain tissues, such as leaves, roots, seeds, fibers,xylem vessels, tracheids, or sclerenchyma. Such promoters are referredto as “tissue-preferred.” Promoters that initiate transcription only incertain tissue are referred to as “tissue-specific.” A “cell type”specific promoter primarily drives expression in certain cell types inone or more organs, for example, vascular cells in roots or leaves. An“inducible” promoter is a promoter that is under environmental control.Examples of environmental conditions that may induce transcription byinducible promoters include anaerobic conditions or the presence oflight. Tissue-specific, tissue-preferred, cell type specific, andinducible promoters are examples of “non-constitutive” promoters. A“constitutive” promoter is a promoter that is generally active undermost environmental conditions.

A. Inducible Promoters

An inducible promoter is operably linked to a gene for expression inrice.

Optionally, the inducible promoter is operably linked to a nucleotidesequence encoding a signal sequence that is operably linked to a genefor expression in rice. With an inducible promoter the rate oftranscription increases in response to an inducing agent.

Any suitable inducible promoter may be used in the present invention.See Ward et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 22:361-366 (1993). Examples includethose from the ACEI system, which responds to copper, Meft et al., PNAS,90:4567-4571 (1993); In2 gene from maize, which responds tobenzenesulfonamide herbicide safeners, Hershey et al., Mol. GenGenetics, 227:229-237 (1991); Gatz et al., Mol. Gen. Genetics, 243:32-38(1994); and Tet repressor from Tn 10, Gatz, Mol. Gen. Genetics,227:229-237 (1991). A preferred inducible promoter is one that respondsto an inducing agent to which plants do not normally respond, forexample, the inducible promoter from a steroid hormone gene, thetranscriptional activity of which is induced by a glucocorticosteroidhormone. See Schena et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., U.S.A. 88:0421(1991).

B. Constitutive Promoters

A constitutive promoter is operably linked to a gene for expression inrice, or the constitutive promoter is operably linked to a nucleotidesequence encoding a signal sequence that is operably linked to a genefor expression in rice.

Constitutive promoters may also be used in the instant invention.Examples include promoters from plant viruses such as the 35S promoterfrom cauliflower mosaic virus, Odell et al., Nature, 313:810-812 (1985),and the promoters from the rice actin gene, McElroy et al., Plant Cell,2:163-171 (1990); ubiquitin, Christensen et al., Plant Mol. Biol.,12:619-632 (1989) and Christensen et al., Plant Mol. Biol. 18:675-689(1992); pEMU, Last et al., Theor. Appl. Genet., 81:581-588 (1991); MAS,Velten et al., EMBO J., 3:2723-2730 (1984); and maize H3 histone,Lepetit et al., Mol. Gen. Genetics, 231:276-285 (1992) and Atanassova etal., Plant Journal, 2 (3): 291-300 (1992). An ACCase or AHAS promoter,such as a rice ACCase or AHAS promoter, may be used as a constitutivepromoter.

C. Tissue-Specific or Tissue-Preferred Promoters

A tissue-specific promoter is operably linked to a gene for expressionin rice. Optionally, the tissue-specific promoter is operably linked toa nucleotide sequence encoding a signal sequence that is operably linkedto a gene for expression in rice. Transformed plants produce theexpression product of the transgene exclusively, or preferentially, inspecific tissue(s).

Any tissue-specific or tissue-preferred promoter may be used in theinstant invention. Examples of tissue-specific or tissue-preferredpromoters include those from the phaseolin gene, Murai et al., Science,23:476-482 (1983), and Sengupta-Gopalan et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.U.S.A., 82:3320-3324 (1985); a leaf-specific and light-induced promotersuch as that from cab or rubisco, Simpson et al., EMBO J.,4(11):2723-2729 (1985) and Timko et al., Nature, 318:579-582 (1985); ananther-specific promoter such as that from LAT52, Twell et al., Mol.Gen. Genetics, 217:240-245 (1989); a pollen-specific promoter such asthat from Zm13, Guerrero et al., Mol. Gen. Genetics, 244:161-168 (1993);or a microspore-preferred promoter such as that from apg, Twell et al.,Sex. Plant Reprod., 6:217-224 (1993).

Signal Sequences for Targeting Proteins to Subcellular Compartments

Transport of protein or peptide molecules produced by transgenes to asubcellular compartment such as a chloroplast, vacuole, peroxisome,glyoxysome, cell wall, or mitochondrion, or for secretion into anapoplast, is accomplished by operably linking a nucleotide sequenceencoding a signal sequence to the 5′ or 3′ end of a gene encoding theprotein or peptide of interest. Targeting sequences at the 5′ or 3′ endof the structural gene may determine, during protein synthesis andprocessing, where the encoded protein is ultimately compartmentalized.

Many signal sequences are known in the art. See, for example, Becker etal., Plant Mol. Biol., 20:49 (1992); Close, P. S., Master's Thesis, IowaState University (1993); Knox, C. et al., “Structure and Organization ofTwo Divergent Alpha-Amylase Genes from Barley,” Plant Mol. Biol., 9:3-17(1987); Lerner et al., Plant Physiol, 91:124-129 (1989); Fontes et al.,Plant Cell, 3:483-496 (1991); Matsuoka et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.,88:834 (1991); Gould et al., J. Cell. Biol., 108:1657 (1989); Creissenet al, Plant J., 2:129 (1991); Kalderon et al., “A short amino acidsequence able to specify nuclear location,” Cell, 39:499-509 (1984); andSteifel et al., “Expression of a maize cell wall hydroxyproline-richglycoprotein gene in early leaf and root vascular differentiation,”Plant Cell, 2:785-793 (1990).

Foreign Protein Genes and Agronomic Genes

Agronomically significant genes that may be transformed into rice plantsin accordance with the present invention include, for example, thefollowing:

1. Genes that Confer Resistance to Pests or Disease:

-   -   A. Plant disease resistance genes. Plant defenses are often        activated by specific interaction between the product of a        disease resistance gene (R) in the plant and the product of a        corresponding avirulence (Avr) gene in the pathogen. A plant may        be transformed with a cloned resistance gene to engineer plants        that are resistant to specific pathogen strains. See, e.g.,        Jones et al., Science 266:789 (1994) (cloning of the tomato Cf-9        gene for resistance to Cladosporium fulvum); Martin et al.,        Science 262:1432 (1993) (tomato Pto gene for resistance to        Pseudomonas syringae pv. Tomato encodes a protein kinase); and        Mindrinos et al., Cell 78:1089 (1994) (Arabidopsis RSP2 gene for        resistance to Pseudomonas syringae).    -   B. A Bacillus thuringiensis protein, a derivative thereof, or a        synthetic polypeptide modeled thereon. See, e.g., Geiser et al.,        Gene 48:109 (1986), disclosing the cloning and nucleotide        sequence of a Bt-endotoxin gene. DNA molecules encoding        endotoxin genes may be obtained from American Type Culture        Collection, Manassas, Va., e.g., under ATCC Accession Nos.        40098, 67136, 31995, and 31998.    -   C. A lectin. See, for example, Van Damme et al., Plant Molec.        Biol. 24:25 (1994), disclosing the nucleotide sequences of        several Clivia miniata mannose-binding lectin genes.    -   D. A vitamin-binding protein such as avidin. See PCT Application        US93/06487.    -   This disclosure teaches the use of avidin and avidin homologues        as larvicides against insect pests.    -   E. An enzyme inhibitor, e.g., a protease or proteinase inhibitor        or an amylase inhibitor. See, e.g., Abe et al., J. Biol. Chem.        262:16793 (1987) (nucleotide sequence of rice cysteine        proteinase inhibitor); Huub et al., Plant Molec. Biol.        21:985 (1993) (nucleotide sequence of cDNA encoding tobacco        proteinase inhibitor 1); and Sumitani et al., Biosci. Biotech.        Biochem. 57:1243 (1993) (nucleotide sequence of Streptomyces        nitrosporeus-amylase inhibitor).    -   F. An insect-specific hormone or pheromone such as an        ecdysteroid and juvenile hormone, a variant thereof, a mimetic        based thereon, or an antagonist or agonist thereof. See, e.g.,        Hammock et al., Nature, 344:458 (1990), disclosing baculovirus        expression of cloned juvenile hormone esterase, an inactivator        of juvenile hormone.    -   G. An insect-specific peptide or neuropeptide that, upon        expression, disrupts the physiology of the affected pest. See,        e.g., Regan, J. Biol. Chem. 269:9 (1994) (expression cloning        yields DNA coding for insect diuretic hormone receptor); and        Pratt et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm., 163:1243 (1989) (an        allostatin in Diploptera puntata). See also U.S. Pat. No.        5,266,317 to Tomalski et al., disclosing genes encoding        insect-specific, paralytic neurotoxins.    -   H. An insect-specific venom produced in nature by a snake, a        wasp, etc. For example, see Pang et al., Gene, 116:165 (1992),        concerning heterologous expression in plants of a gene coding        for a scorpion insectotoxic peptide.    -   I. An enzyme responsible for hyperaccumulation of a monoterpene,        a sesquiterpene, a steroid, hydroxamic acid, a phenylpropanoid        derivative or another non-protein molecule with insecticidal        activity.    -   J. An enzyme involved in the modification, including        post-translational modification, of a biologically active        molecule; e.g., a glycolytic enzyme, a proteolytic enzyme, a        lipolytic enzyme, a nuclease, a cyclase, a transaminase, an        esterase, a hydrolase, a phosphatase, a kinase, a phosphorylase,        a polymerase, an elastase, a chitinase, or a glucanase, either        natural or synthetic. See PCT Application WO 9302197 to Scott et        al., which discloses the nucleotide sequence of a callase gene.        DNA molecules that contain chitinase-encoding sequences can be        obtained, for example, from the American Type Culture Collection        under Accession Nos. 39637 and 67152. See also Kramer et al.,        Insect Biochem. Molec. Biol. 23:691 (1993), which discloses the        nucleotide sequence of a cDNA encoding tobacco hookworm        chitinase; and Kawalleck et al., Plant Molec. Biol., 21:673        (1993), which discloses the nucleotide sequence of the parsley        ubi4-2 polyubiquitin gene.    -   K. A molecule that stimulates signal transduction. See, e.g.,        Botella et al., Plant Molec. Biol., 24:757 (1994), which        discloses nucleotide sequences for mung bean calmodulin cDNA        clones; and Griess et al., Plant Physiol., 104:1467 (1994),        which discloses the nucleotide sequence of a maize calmodulin        cDNA clone.    -   L. An antimicrobial or amphipathic peptide. See PCT Application        WO 9516776 (disclosing peptide derivatives of Tachyplesin that        inhibit fungal plant pathogens); and PCT Application WO 9518855        (disclosing synthetic antimicrobial peptides that confer disease        resistance).    -   M. A membrane permease, a channel former or a channel blocker.        See, e.g., Jaynes et al., Plant Sci., 89:43 (1993), which        discloses heterologous expression of a cecropin lytic peptide        analog to render transgenic tobacco plants resistant to        Pseudomonas solanacearum.    -   N. A viral-invasive protein or a complex toxin derived        therefrom. For example, the accumulation of viral coat proteins        in transformed plant cells induces resistance to viral infection        or disease development caused by the virus from which the coat        protein gene is derived, as well as by related viruses. Coat        protein-mediated resistance has been conferred upon transformed        plants against alfalfa mosaic virus, cucumber mosaic virus,        tobacco streak virus, potato virus X, potato virus Y, tobacco        etch virus, tobacco rattle virus, and tobacco mosaic virus. See        Beachy et al., Ann. Rev. Phytopathol., 28:451 (1990).    -   O. An insect-specific antibody or an immunotoxin derived        therefrom. Thus, an antibody targeted to a critical metabolic        function in the insect gut inactivates an affected enzyme,        killing the insect. See Taylor et al., Abstract #497, Seventh        Intl Symposium on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions        (Edinburgh, Scotland, 1994) (enzymatic inactivation in        transgenic tobacco via production of single-chain antibody        fragments).    -   P. A virus-specific antibody. See, e.g., Tavladoraki et al.,        Nature, 366:469 (1993), showing protection of transgenic plants        expressing recombinant antibody genes from virus attack.    -   Q. A developmental-arrest protein produced in nature by a        pathogen or a parasite.

For example, fungal endo-1,4-D-polygalacturonases facilitate fungalcolonization and plant nutrient release by solubilizing plant cell wallhomo-1,4-D-galacturonase. See Lamb et al., Bio/Technology, 10:1436(1992). The cloning and characterization of a gene that encodes a beanendopolygalacturonase-inhibiting protein is described by Toubart et al.,Plant J., 2:367 (1992).

-   -   R. A developmental-arrest protein produced in nature by a plant.        For example,

Logemann et al., Bio/Technology, 10:305 (1992) reported that transgenicplants expressing the barley ribosome-inactivating gene have anincreased resistance to fungal disease.

2. Genes that Confer Additional Resistance to a Herbicide, Beyond thatwhich is Inherent in ‘CLL17,’ for Example:

-   -   A. A herbicide that inhibits the growing point or meristem, such        as an imidazolinone or a sulfonylurea. Exemplary genes in this        category code for mutant ALS and AHAS enzymes as described, for        example, by Lee et al., EMBO J., 7:1241 (1988); and Miki et al.,        Theor. Appl. Genet., 80:449 (1990), respectively. See,        additionally, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,545,822; 5,736,629; 5,773,703;        5,773,704; 5,952,553; 6,274,796; 6,943,280; 7,019,196;        7,345,221; 7,399,905; 7,495,153; 7,754,947; 7,786,360;        8,841,525; 8,841,526; 8,946,528; 9,029,642; 9,090,904; and        9,220220. Resistance to AHAS-acting herbicides may be through a        mechanism other than a resistant AHAS enzyme. See, e.g., U.S.        Pat. No. 5,545,822.    -   B. Glyphosate: Resistance may be imparted by mutant 5-enolpyruvl        phosphikimate synthase (EPSP) and aroA genes. Other phosphono        compounds such as glufosinate: Resistance may be imparted by        phosphinothricin acetyl transferase, PAT and Streptomyces        hygroscopicus phosphinothricin-acetyl transferase, bar, genes.        Pyridinoxy or phenoxy propionic acids and cyclohexones:        Resistance may be imparted by ACCase inhibitor-encoding genes.        See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,835 to Shah et al., which        discloses the nucleotide sequence of a form of EPSP that confers        glyphosate resistance. A DNA molecule encoding a mutant aroA        gene can be obtained under ATCC Accession Number 39256, and the        nucleotide sequence of the mutant gene is disclosed in U.S. Pat.        No. 4,769,061 to Comai. European Patent Application No. 0333033        to Kumada et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,374 to Goodman et al.,        disclose nucleotide sequences of glutamine synthetase genes that        confer resistance to herbicides such as L-phosphinothricin. The        nucleotide sequence of a phosphinothricin-acetyl-transferase        gene is provided in European Application No. 0242246 to Leemans        et al. and DeGreef et al., Bio/Technology, 7:61 (1989),        describing the production of transgenic plants that express        chimeric bar genes coding for phosphinothricin acetyl        transferase activity. Examples of genes conferring resistance to        phenoxy propionic acids and cyclohexones, such as sethoxydim and        haloxyfop, are the Acc1-S1, Acc1-S2, and Acc1-S3 genes described        by Marshall et al., Theor. Appl. Genet., 83:435 (1992).    -   C. A herbicide that inhibits photosynthesis, such as a triazine        (psbA and gs+ genes) or a benzonitrile (nitrilase gene).        Przibilla et al., Plant Cell, 3:169 (1991), describe the        transformation of Chlatnydomonas with plasmids encoding mutant        psbA genes. Nucleotide sequences for nitrilase genes are        disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,648 to Stalker, and DNA        molecules containing these genes are available under ATCC        Accession Nos. 53435, 67441, and 67442. Cloning and expression        of DNA coding for a glutathione S-transferase is described by        Hayes et al., Biochem. J., 285:173 (1992).        3. Genes that Confer or Contribute to a Value-added Trait, such        as:    -   A. Modified fatty acid metabolism, for example, by transforming        a plant with an antisense sequence to stearyl-ACP desaturase, to        increase stearic acid content of the plant. See Knultzon et al.,        Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 89:2624 (1992).    -   B. Decreased Phytate Content        -   1) Introduction of a phytase-encoding gene would enhance            breakdown of phytate, adding more free phosphate to the            transformed plant. See, e.g., Van Hartingsveldt et al.,            Gene, 127:87 (1993), which discloses the nucleotide sequence            of an Aspergillus niger phytase gene.        -   2) A gene may be introduced to reduce phytate content. For            example, this may be accomplished by cloning, and then            reintroducing DNA associated with an allele that is            responsible for maize mutants characterized by low levels of            phytic acid, or a homologous or analogous mutation in rice            may be used. See Raboy et al., Maydica, 35:383 (1990).    -   C. Carbohydrate composition may be modified, for example, by        transforming plants with a gene coding for an enzyme that alters        the branching pattern of starch. See Shiroza et al., J.        Bacteol., 170:810 (1988) (nucleotide sequence of Streptococcus        mutant fructosyltransferase gene); Steinmetz et al., Mol. Gen.        Genet., 20:220 (1985) (nucleotide sequence of Bacillus subtilis        levansucrase gene); Pen et al., Bio/Technology, 10:292 (1992)        (production of transgenic plants that express Bacillus        lichenifonnis amylase); Elliot et al., Plant Molec. Biol.,        21:515 (1993) (nucleotide sequences of tomato invertase genes);        Søgaard et al., J. Biol. Chem., 268:22480 (1993) (site-directed        mutagenesis of barley amylase gene); and Fisher et al., Plant        Physiol., 102:1045 (1993) (maize endosperm starch branching        enzyme 11).

Methods for Rice Transformation

Numerous methods for plant transformation are known in the art,including both biological and physical transformation protocols. See,e.g., Miki, et al., “Procedures for Introducing Foreign DNA into Plants”in Methods in Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology; Glick B. R. andThompson, J. E. (Eds.) (CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, 1993), pp. 67-88.In addition, expression vectors and in vitro culture methods for plantcell or tissue transformation and regeneration of plants are known inthe art. See, e.g., Gruber et al., “Vectors for Plant Transformation” inMethods in Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Glick B. R. andThompson, J. E. (Eds.) (CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, 1993), pp. 89-119.

A. Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation

One method for introducing an expression vector into plants is based onthe natural transformation system of Agrobacterium. See, e.g., Horsch etal., Science, 227:1229 (1985). A. tumefaciens and A. rhizogenes areplant pathogenic soil bacteria that genetically transform plant cells.The Ti and Ri plasmids of A. tumefaciens and A. rhizogenes,respectively, carry genes responsible for genetic transformation ofplants. See, e.g., Kado, C. I., Crit. Rev. Plant Sci., 10:1 (1991).Descriptions of Agrobacterium vector systems and methods forAgrobacterium-mediated gene transfer are provided by Gruber et al.,supra; Miki et al., supra; and Moloney, et al., Plant Cell Reports,8:238 (1989). See also U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,616.

B. Direct Gene Transfer

Despite the fact the host range forAgrobacterium-mediated transformationis broad, it is more difficult to transform some cereal crop species andgymnosperms via this mode of gene transfer, although success has beenachieved in both rice and corn. See Hiei et al., The Plant Journal,6:271-282 (1994); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,616. Other methods of planttransformation exist as alternatives to Agrobacterium-mediatedtransformation.

A generally applicable method of plant transformation ismicroprojectile-mediated (so-called “gene gun”) transformation, in whichDNA is carried on the surface of microprojectiles, typically 1 to 4 μmin diameter. The expression vector is introduced into plant tissues witha biolistic device that accelerates the microprojectiles to typicalspeeds of 300 to 600 m/s, sufficient to penetrate plant cell walls andmembranes. Sanford et al., Part. Sci. Technol., 5:27 (1987); Sanford, J.C., Trends Biotech., 6:299 (1988); Klein et al., Bio/Technology,6:559-563 (1988); Sanford, J. C., Physiol Plant, 7:206 (1990); and Kleinet al., Biotechnology, 10:268 (1992). Various target tissues may bebombarded with DNA-coated microprojectiles to produce transgenic plants,including, for example, callus (Type I or Type II), immature embryos,and meristematic tissue.

Another method for physical delivery of DNA to plants is sonication oftarget cells. Zhang et al., Bio/Technology, 9:996 (1991). Alternatively,liposome or spheroplast fusion has been used to introduce expressionvectors into plants. Deshayes et al., EMBO J., 4:2731 (1985); andChristou et al., Proc Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 84:3962 (1987). Directuptake of

DNA into protoplasts, using CaCl₂) precipitation, polyvinyl alcohol orpoly-L-omithine, has also been reported. Hain et al., Mol. Gen. Genet.,199:161 (1985); and Draper et al., Plant Cell Physiol., 23:451 (1982).Electroporation of protoplasts and whole cells and tissues has also beendescribed. Donn et al., in Abstracts of VIIth International Congress onPlant Cell and Tissue Culture IAPTC, A2-38, p. 53 (1990); D'Halluin etal., Plant Cell, 4:1495-1505 (1992); and Spencer et al., Plant Mol.Biol., 24:51-61 (1994).

Following transformation of rice target tissues, expression of aselectable marker gene allows preferential selection of transformedcells, tissues, or plants, using regeneration and selection methodsknown in the art.

These methods of transformation may be used for producing a transgenicinbred line. The transgenic inbred line may then be crossed with anotherinbred line (itself either transformed or non-transformed), to produce anew transgenic inbred line. Alternatively, a genetic trait that has beenengineered into a particular rice line may be moved into another lineusing traditional crossing and backcrossing techniques. For example,backcrossing may be used to move an engineered trait from a public,non-elite inbred line into an elite inbred line, or from an inbred linecontaining a foreign gene in its genome into an inbred line or linesthat do not contain that gene.

The term “inbred rice plant” should be understood also to include singlegene conversions of an inbred line. Backcrossing methods can be usedwith the present invention to improve or introduce a characteristic intoan inbred line.

Many single gene traits have been identified that are not regularlyselected for in the development of a new inbred line, but that may beimproved by crossing and backcrossing. Single gene traits may or may notbe transgenic. Examples of such traits include male sterility, waxystarch, herbicide resistance, resistance for bacterial or fungal orviral disease, insect resistance, male fertility, enhanced nutritionalquality, yield stability, and yield enhancement. These genes aregenerally inherited through the nucleus. Known exceptions to the nucleargenes include some genes for male sterility that are inheritedcytoplasmically, but that still act functionally as single gene traits.Several single gene traits are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,777,196;5,948,957; and 5,969,212.

DEPOSIT INFORMATION

A sample of the rice cultivar designated ‘CLL17’ was deposited with theAmerican Type Culture Collection (ATCC) (under the experimental varietydesignation LA2097), 10801 University Boulevard, Manassas, Va.20110-2209 on 20 Jan. 2020, and was assigned ATCC Accession No.PTA-126613. This deposit was made under the Budapest Treaty.

MISCELLANEOUS

The complete disclosures of all references cited in this specificationare hereby incorporated by reference. In the event of an otherwiseirreconcilable conflict, however, the present specification shallcontrol.

1. A rice plant of the variety ‘CLL17,’ a representative sample of seedsof said variety ‘CLL17’ having been deposited under ATCC Accession No.PTA-126613; or an F₁ hybrid of said variety ‘CLL17.’
 2. The rice plantof claim 1, wherein said rice plant is a rice plant of said variety‘CLL17.’
 3. A rice seed of the rice plant of claim 2, or a rice seedcapable of producing said rice plant.
 4. The rice plant of claim 1,wherein said rice plant is an F₁ hybrid of said variety ‘CLL17.’
 5. AnF₁ hybrid seed of the rice variety ‘CLL17’ capable of producing the riceplant of claim
 4. 6. A rice seed of the rice plant of claim 1, or a riceseed capable of producing said rice plant.
 7. The seed of claim 6,wherein said seed is treated with an AHAS-inhibiting herbicide.
 8. Theseed of claim 7, wherein said AHAS-inhibiting herbicide comprises aherbicidally effective imidazolinone.
 9. The seed of claim 7, whereinsaid AHAS-inhibiting herbicide comprises a herbicidally effectivesulfonylurea.
 10. The seed of claim 6, wherein said seed is coated witha seed treatment or contains a seed treatment.
 11. Pollen of the plantof claim
 1. 12. An ovule of the plant of claim
 1. 13. A compositioncomprising a product prepared from the rice plant of claim
 2. 14. Atissue culture of regenerable cells or protoplasts produced from therice plant of claim
 1. 15. The tissue culture of claim 14, wherein saidregenerable cells or protoplasts are produced from a tissue selectedfrom the group consisting of embryos, meristematic cells, pollen,leaves, anthers, roots, root tips, flowers, seeds, and stems.
 16. Amethod for producing rice plants, said method comprising planting aplurality of rice seeds of the rice plant of claim 1, or a plurality ofrice seeds capable of producing the rice plant, under conditionsfavorable for the growth of rice plants.
 17. The method of claim 16,additionally comprising the step of applying herbicide in the vicinityof the rice plants, wherein the herbicide normally inhibitsacetohydroxyacid synthase, at a level of the herbicide that wouldnormally inhibit the growth of a rice plant.
 18. The method of claim 17,additionally comprising the step of producing rice seed from theresulting rice plants.
 19. The method of claim 17, wherein the herbicidecomprises a herbicidally effective imidazolinone.
 20. The method ofclaim 19, wherein the herbicide comprises imazethapyr or imazamox. 21.The method of claim 17, wherein the herbicide comprises a herbicidallyeffective sulfonylurea.
 22. A method of producing a rice plant, saidmethod comprising transforming the rice plant of claim 1 with one ormore of: a transgene that confers insect resistance, a transgene thatconfers disease resistance, a transgene that encodesfructosyltransferase, a transgene that encodes levansucrase, a transgenethat encodes alpha-amylase, a transgene that encodes invertase, atransgene that encodes a starch-branching enzyme, or a transgene thatencodes an antisense sequence to stearyl-ACP desaturase.
 23. A riceplant or rice seed produced by the method of claim
 22. 24. A method ofintroducing a desired trait into rice cultivar ‘CLL17,’ said methodcomprising the steps of: (a) crossing ‘CLL17’ plants as recited in claim2 with plants of another rice line expressing the desired trait, toproduce progeny plants; (b) selecting progeny plants that express thedesired trait, to produce selected progeny plants; (c) crossing theselected progeny plants with ‘CLL17’ plants to produce new progenyplants; (d) selecting new progeny plants that express both the desiredtrait and some or all of the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of rice cultivar ‘CLL17,’ to produce new selectedprogeny plants; and (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) three or more timesin succession, to produce selected higher generation backcross progenyplants that express both the desired trait and essentially all of thephysiological and morphological characteristics of rice cultivar‘CLL17,’ as described in the VARIETY DESCRIPTION INFORMATION of thespecification, determined at a 5% significance level, when grown in thesame environmental conditions; wherein the selected plants express theherbicide tolerance phenotype characteristics of ‘CLL17.’
 25. The methodof claim 24, additionally comprising the step of planting a plurality ofrice seed produced by selected higher generation backcross progenyplants under conditions favorable for the growth of rice plants.
 26. Themethod of claim 25, additionally comprising the step of applyingherbicide in the vicinity of the rice plants, wherein the herbicidenormally inhibits acetohydroxyacid synthase, at a level of the herbicidethat would normally inhibit the growth of a rice plant.
 27. The methodof claim 26, wherein the herbicide comprises a herbicidally effectiveimidazolinone.
 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the herbicidecomprises imazethapyr or imazamox.
 29. The method of claim 27, whereinthe herbicide comprises a herbicidally effective sulfonylurea herbicide.30. A method comprising treating the rice seed of claim 6 with anAHAS-inhibiting herbicide.
 31. The method of claim 30, wherein theAHAS-inhibiting herbicide comprises a herbicidally effectiveimidazolinone.
 32. The method of claim 30, wherein the AHAS-inhibitingherbicide comprises a herbicidally effective sulfonylurea.
 33. A methodfor treating the rice plant of claim 1, said method comprising applyingherbicide to the rice plant, wherein the herbicide normally inhibitsacetohydroxyacid synthase, at a level of the herbicide that wouldnormally inhibit the growth of a rice plant.
 34. The method of claim 33,wherein the herbicide comprises a herbicidally effective imidazolinone.35. The method of claim 34, wherein the herbicide comprises imazamox,imazethapyr, imazapyr, imazapic, or imazaquin.
 36. The method of claim33, wherein the herbicide comprises a herbicidally effectivesulfonylurea.
 37. The method of claim 33, wherein the method furthercomprises applying the herbicide to weeds in the vicinity of the riceplant.